Fu Naru's Palace of Illusion
by Fable's Temptress
Summary: Sae, the count's daughter and skeptic of true love, has been selected by her majesty the Queen as the seventh noble gentlewoman to partake in the challenge of winning the Prince's hand in marriage. With six tasks to complete, Sae begins to find things are not as they appear in this palace of mystery...
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

* * *

A lovely young lady sat contently, surrounded by a sundrenched garden while her younger sister picked from the flowering bushes, and in no way was she prepared for the events about to befall her.

The lady was known as Sae, the daughter of one of the many counts of Fu Naru kingdom. Her younger sister, or half-sister rather, was an adorable nine-year-old with hair that gleamed like gold in the afternoon shine, and she was called Mealina. Sae and Mealina loved each other very much; though to look at them one would not think them related.

Unfortunately for Sae, she hardly appeared to be related to anyone in her family. Sae's stepmother, Lady Kiva, and her children, the rowdy twelve-year-old twins Josef and Evart and their younger sister Mealina, all donned identical blonde locks. Sae's hair was raven-coloured, just like her mother's had been, and her father proudly bared a red mane. Her only assurance that she was her father's daughter, similarly to her half brother Josef, was their matching rain-cloud eyes.

It didn't matter so much, Sae thought, as she gripped the stone bench she rested upon. As a child growing up she had been so upset, so worried because she did not seem to match the rest of her family. The only one whom she was told looked anything like her, her mother, she had killed. Her mother had died giving birth to her, and that made Sae the culprit. Sometimes she wished oddly enough that she could go back into the past and apologize to her mother. Nevertheless, these things didn't matter so much now, for it seemed she would not be a part of this family for much longer.

"Sister?" Sae blinked back into consciousness to find Mealina now stood before her, having stopped frolicking about.

"You seem pensive. I hope it's not about what father was speaking of earlier. You are going to refuse the invitation, no?"

Sae smiled at her, plucking a sunflower out of the bouquet Mealina held tightly in her hands. "Refuse? Of course not, I've already accepted. Father had already begun penning a response when I left him in his study."

Mealina dropped her wild yellow flowers, her hands flying up to rub out the tedious salty drops forming in her warm brown eyes. "That's…that's horrible Sae!"

Sae, with her trademark response that solved nothing, shrugged. "I actually agree with father. This is for my benefit. It's really what any woman could hope for."

Mealina however wouldn't have that. She sniffled and bent down to recollect her poor scattered bloomers. "No it's not. I could never hope for that…how could you Sae? Don't you want to find your true love?"

Sae, obviously less distressed over her own situation then her sister was, bit her lip to stop from smiling. Her sister, she thought, really was adorable when it came to these things, but she mustn't laugh or Mealina would really be hurt. "I know darling how you love those tales you've been fed since infancy, of dashing knights and charming princes, but you must remember they are simply tales."

"That doesn't mean true love doesn't exist!" Mealina said, the ever determined romantic, and Sae could see by her sister's expression that her mind was slipping off into some little fantasy of her own, probably a love story she wished to live out someday.

"What's this about true love now?" Both girls turned to see Lady Kiva entering the garden gate and walking towards them in her graceful stroll.

"Mama, Sae doesn't care for love! She has accepted the invitation from the Queen!"

Lady Kiva smiled at her daughter's sweet earnestness as she took a seat next to Sae on the bench, taking a moment to think the issue over. "Well, Sae is being very sensible, very like her father I should say, in accepting the Queen's invitation. Not everyone, dearest Mealina, is lucky enough to marry for love. However, it would be foolish to agree to a marriage, whether it being advantageous for you or not, without at first making some effort in finding out if you are in the least bit compatible. Suppose Sae, that the two of you are ill matched and find yourselves in constant fights, ever longing to leave each other?"

Twirling the sunflower between her fingers, Sae replied "There are people who have wed for love and have ended up in the same predicament. It seems to me that sometimes it is a matter of chance. In some respects I do agree with you though; I suppose it is possible to be entirely incompatible with someone to the point where it's impossible to function harmoniously together. But you, Mealina, speak of something else, of true love. I only hope that the man I marry will be someone tolerable, whom I can get along with…but other than that I do not expect anything. To put it bluntly, true love is not for me. I have no use for it."

Mealina was clearly horrified at the thought, as could be expected from her tender heart, and she frowned in despair at hearing such words from her beloved sister, but Lady Kiva only smiled.

"A warning, Sae," she advised. "Those are cursed words you have just uttered, and it is quite known that once a determined young lady says them she has doomed herself to falling in love."

"Known where mother? Among storytellers? Is that not a warning a heroine would hear in a fated love tale? I'm afraid I live among the real."

The lady smiled on. "You'll be careful, daughter not of my own blood but certainly of my heart, for you may find yourself in your own tale soon enough with that attitude. Just promise poor Mealina and me that once behind those palace walls, you will not agree to any sort of marriage until you have thoroughly gotten to know the suitor and his family."

Sae nodded like the dutiful daughter she was. "Yes…I admit I am worried about this. I do have some fears…I, I just don't want to disappoint father. I know he's looking out for what's best for me."

"I have no doubt he is, Sae," Lady Kiva said kindly, "but you must be the possessor of your own will, or else is was pointless of your maker to give it to you. You've always been a passive child, and I know it's because you feel responsible for things that were not your fault dearest, but you must stand up for yourself because no one else will when you are living amongst the royals."

"Stand up for yourself, get to know the prince before you agree to marry him, and don't forget about us." Mealina added, taking her sister's hand in hers.

Sae laughed, and quite a sweet simple laugh did she have. "You all sound so sure it's a done deal. You forget, I am the…seventh lady I think, to be staying at the palace since the Queen started inviting potential consorts over."

Lady Kiva nodded, for her husband had informed her of the details as well. "There were four princesses from the surrounding countries who had come, and they had all apparently failed whatever test the Queen set out for them. Then there was the archduke's daughter, the viscount's young niece, and now you are the seventh I think. It is lucky that the other counts, and most of this kingdom's nobility I gather, do not have eligible daughters, though if you fail whatever it is the Queen has in store for you I suppose they'll move on to the various barons and their female offspring next."

"I wonder what sort of test she has in store though. I heard all four princesses left the country in a huff within the same day they failed, and the two ladies from our country I'm not particular friends with, so I didn't feel I had the right to ask them last week at Duke Eizer's ball. They did both look rather sour about it though, and I suspect they rather not divulge in any particulars."

'Or maybe they are not permitted to say." Mealina said in a whisper.

Both Lady Kiva and Sae laughed, mistakenly thinking that the idea from such a young girl inexperienced with the ways of the world must be wrong. Mealina it can be said, like most children, was smarter and quicker then her silly elder family members realized.

"I doubt what ever Queen Ryona has in store for me will be so scandalous that it must be kept secret. Mealina, you've got to stop letting your imagination run wild like that."

Sae had no idea how close these wild imagings Mealina had conjured up were to the actual reality she would soon face. And so, this is where the story really begins.

* * *

**Author:** _Thank you for reading this!_

**Some basic information about this story**:_ The story is already__ finished (save an epilogue) so you can expect prompt updates! _

_It is loosely based on a manga, and I decided to convert it into a fairy tale as I am a huge fan of them. The story has twists in it so I cannot reveal the manga until the end. I hope you will enjoy it _

_Thank you!_

-**Fable's Temptress**


	2. Part One: 1

**Part One**

* * *

Fu Naru's palace was known, imaginatively enough, as the Palace of Fu Naru. Situated to the North East in a secluded area, and hidden away from the surrounding villages, not many people knew of the happenings inside those walls. The subjects prospered under good and just leadership, their taxes were light and when crop failure occurred the royalty was always there to aid them, so they didn't trouble themselves to much to question their rulers' secretive, isolated ways. Once in a while the princes would come out to help at the harvest moon and the farmers were grateful for any volunteered labour. The knights patrolled the countryside on a regular basis, never far from any region in the country, in case problems arose.

Overall, Fu Naru lived in peaceful, blossoming times, though the nobility seemed quite in a stir that they never saw those handsome (and more importantly, rich) eligible sons of the King and Queen at the regular noble gatherings. The reason was of course that the Queen was hiding them away for some purpose, some reason no one outside the palace walls knew of, though the nobles had ideas of their own; the most popular of them being that perhaps the rich princes were hideous and therefore had to be kept locked up until they were married. Sad but true, most nobility didn't converse with the farmers, for if they did they would be informed that both princes were not only quite fine looking young men, but strong and capable of putting in a good day's work of labour around the harvest moon time.

Nonetheless the rumours did continue, though no one did suspect the real reason, far more strange and outlandish then anything they had thought up (except perhaps one ridiculous notion that the princes were really princesses, but as the King needed sons as heirs they were raised as boys. Now _that_ particular rumour could be considered even more bizarre than the truth).

So, for whatever fantastical reason the Queen had for keeping her boys out of the public eye, the result was that the daughter of Count Arland Eldree of the Western region began her journey to the Palace of Fu Naru, knowing nothing of either prince, besides the fact that she was now the new candidate to marry the older prince, whom her father speculated to be in his early twenties.

Upon arrival at the palace Sae was amazed, first by the fact that it was hidden in such a secretive place in the country. The carriage she journeyed in had to cross miles of forestry and park, which was all palace property, before she came upon the actual structure. And what a structure it was! Ivory towers and all. The rooftops were made of a pale blue stone and the windows were all stain glass and elegant. This was never a castle that had known warfare; it was a palace built from architectural beauty and baroque fashion. Inside the palace the floors were marble and Sae was caught by her shadow mirrored beneath her feet on the smooth surface.

The servants who came to meet her were all dressed in exquisite shell colours, with pearl coats and white breeches, and they managed to carry her belongings gracefully and effortlessly, though Sae knew her stepmother had packed a weighty trunk. She was led up an expansive crimson-carpeted stairway, then down a long corridor to her right and shown to vacant quarters, which were to be hers for the proceeding time period, or to put it more bluntly, for as long as she lasted.

"The head servant will be here shortly, milady." The servants bowed and left her to her rooms after all the luggage was brought in.

Sae took the opportunity to get to know her new surroundings. The first room in her quarters was set up much like a personal drawing room, with divans and couches to lounge on, richly coloured carpets to soften the wooden floors, a bookshelf against one wall that kissed the ceiling and filled with what looked like varying subjects, and various portraits hung on the opposing walls for inspection. There was even a card table placed off to one side of the room, and a pianoforte on the opposite end lest she find herself in the mood for entertainment.

The door on the left side led to a spacious room painted jade green, with dark cherry-wood furniture, such as an intricately carved wardrobe and an impressively high and wide bed with teal coloured sheets. The stain glass window that the light poured through was designed to portray the folktale of one of Fu Naru's tragic myths. Through the metal and coloured glass the image displayed was that of a young woman with wings spurting out her back. She was turned away from a man, who was kneeling before her and seemed to be begging. It was the fable of the angel who fell in love with a man who was deceiving her, and once she discovered his trickery she left him forever.

Walking back into her drawing room, she explored the other two doors. One led to a private study, which was filled with more books and a writing desk equipped with writing utensils and paper for her use. The final door led to her personal toiletry room, and she was pleased to see that they had fashioned their bath sparing no costs.

When she next walked back into her main room she found a tall man with a nervous appearance but steady hazel eyes placed on her. For a moment she supposed this could be one of the princes, for Fu Naru royalty was known for having famous hazel eyes, not all of them of course, but she had heard at least one of the princes like his father has inherited that trait. However, taking in the man's royal servant garments, she concluded that she must be mistaken, and that this man must be the head servant she was told would meet with her soon. Still, he did seem oddly young to be a head servant.

"Lady Sae, I am pleased to welcome you to the palace, I am the head servant here, Gallagher." He paused watching her expression carefully. "Yes, well I can see you are a bit sceptical of someone my age being promoted to head servant, but—" he added with a nervy lilt in his voice, "but, I assure you, most confidently, that when my father, the previous head servant, broke his back a fortnight ago, no one questioned my taking over until he recovers…which may very well never happen, so it is best we come to a mutual understanding now"

"I—" Sae was a little taken aback by his unprovoked speech—was it really necessary for him to justify his position to her? "I…well yes, I suppose we had better come to an understanding if you are to be the head servant while I am here. You aren't, by any chance, related to the royal family, are you?"

Gallagher clammed up at once and demanded, "No of course not, why would you think such a thing!"

"N-no reason, I'm sorry for asking if it offends you so. It is because you have hazel eyes, but then I suppose not everyone with hazel eyes in the world has to be related to the Fu Naru family."

"Of course they don't!" He snapped. "And it's best you understand that now before you go and start saying such preposterous things to anyone else in this palace! Now then!…now, where was I? Oh yes, Lady Sae, three ladies-in-waiting will be assigned to you during your stay, and I will go and summon them to come to you shortly. I just want to clear some more rules up with you first. While you are here, the Queen will be setting out a series of tests for you. If you pass them all, you will marry her eldest son, the crowned Prince Sevastian. Fail any of them and you are immediately sent home. Do not take her tasks lightly; they are in every bit of the word a challenge. You are also to have dinner with her highness this early evening, or in an hour I should say, and you have be introduced to the rest of the royal family afterwards. Now, is there anything you would like to ask?"

"Am I to call you Gallagher then?" Sae asked.

"If that is what you wish. Now, I must go; I have many things to prepare if that is all you have to ask."

"Yes, thank you Gallagher."

"Milady," He bowed and left, taking his nervous aura with him.

Sae was going through one of her trunks seeking a suitable dress to meet the Queen with, when her three ladies-in-waiting along with a fourth maid made their appearance.

The three ladies who bowed together to her and claimed they were her three ladies-in-waiting seemed all relatively young, the youngest being a sweet fifteen-year-old blonde girl named Phélie. The other two were the crow-haired Beda, and the red-haired Alesia. They were all dressed modestly and they all looked like genuinely agreeable young woman.

The one who stood out to Sae was the remaining lady in the room, who confessed to being the Queen's former lady-in-waiting, for many years now it seemed. She was slightly plump, with salt and pepper hair that clearly used to be black, and the only thing about her that didn't seem warm was her shrewd, sharp blue gaze. She also held her head higher then the other younger girls present, which told Sae she was either very proud to be a maid to the Queen, or that she had spent too much time around the Monarch. It would only be a few weeks later when Sae would mention that all the servants around seemed in some small way to show their pride of serving the royal family, and Mayah, for that was the elder lady's name, would smile delightfully to this and admit that she held her own head high to show she was proud to serve such regal masters. After just the first few minutes of being introduced to and talking with Mayah, Sae felt that she liked her best of all. Perhaps a little too predictably for an elderly palace maid, Mayah seemed to have a natural maternal aura emanate from her.

As the three young ladies-in-waiting set to unloading Sae's belongings and putting everything away into her wardrobes, Mayah took Sae aside and continued to talk to her, and Sae got the impression that the kind old lady was trying to read her character. However, Mayah did do a fair bit of talking of her own.

"Having been the Queen's lady-in-waiting since we were both in our youth, we are actually quite close, perhaps more as friends then as servant-master my dear, and I believe this is why the Queen has taken on younger ladies to tend to her and I have been given the easy task of helping out all the contending ladies, and supervising the maids serving you. It really is a vacation for me, these last months. I do admit however, it is sad to see young mistress after mistress go, none of them ever staying long. I hope you aren't discouraged by this, Lady Sae."

Finding Mayah extremely easy to talk with, Sae opened up. "I'm not discouraged, no. It's funny for me to say this, because I am no believer of fate, I am more of the mind that one must acquire for themselves the life they want by the choices they make, and yet I feel like if it is meant for me then I will pass the tests, and if not then I shall go back home having known I tried."

"That is an interesting answer," Mayah said after a moment's pause, "but Sae, may I just call you Sae milady? Yes, well, Sae my dear, I believe that you must have a good reason to be here in order to get through these tests the Queen has set out. Do you have a good reason? Past princesses have come for money, for power, they have come because their families have sent them. What is your reason?"

"I do not desire power or money, but I have come because my father has asked me to and I know he only chooses what is best for me. I know nothing of the prince so I cannot say anything of attachment or silly infatuation, but I have promised my stepmother that should I find I am completely incompatible with his highness, I should go straight home. I do not pretend not to know that marrying his highness would secure for me a life safe from poverty, as any girl looking to marry hopes for, and I do not look for love because I do not think I was made for the romantic kind. I am only looking for a man whom I can start a new life with, whom I can get on with tolerably well and will have enough wealth that any children we have won't go hungry. Is that not a good enough reason?"

"It is an honest reason, though a little depressing my dear. What of happiness? You did talk of not marrying a man you are completely incompatible with, but what if you marry a man you get along with well enough, but there is no passion, to the point that you find yourself unhappy in the marriage?"

Sae gave a small smile. "I have already told you, I do not concern myself with lust and passion. I scarcely think I was designed for it. I only look for a safe, orderly home, which is all anyone can hope for."

Mayah looked away with a small smile of her own. "You have yet to be awakened then, Sae. Well, let us look for something nice and proper for you to wear tonight to dine with the Queen, shall we?"

Within the hour Sae found herself being summoned down for dinner. Mayah had very wisely picked for Sae a satiny jade evening gown that was both flattering and modest.

"You want to appear graceful and beautiful before the male royalty, but you also must remember the Queen is looking for a humble gentlewoman, not a vain lady. Though, judging by the attire you have brought with you, I doubt she'll have to worry about that. Your clothes all do seem quiet reserved, quiet innocently pretty."

Sae blushed slightly, despite her usual detached manner. "My father was never one for letting his daughters expose themselves to provoke the appetites of men. Besides, my stepmother has always taught me how a lady can be both appropriate and striking in her own right. She was the one who bought this green dress for me, as well as many others I've brought along for my stay here."

"Smart woman." Mayah said softly. "She raised you well. Now, shall I call on the guards to escort you to the dining hall?"

As the door servants pulled the magnificent golden dining hall doors back for her, Sae was quick to take in everything prominent about the new grand room she was entering, before she got too close to the Queen herself. She knew it was better to pretend she wasn't amazed at everything she saw, lest she seem like a simple commoner to the royalty, and gawking at their glorious dining hall would surely create that impression. Taking in the brilliant shades of colour the room exuded and all the warm tones of the refined furniture, Sae forced her eyes away from the surroundings and focused them on the dining table centered in the room and seeming to be a good twenty feet long. The Queen herself had not yet entered the hall.

"Please milady, take a seat next to the head of the table, her ladyship will be here momentarily." One of the servants had come forward and pulled back the chair she was intended to sit on.

Sae sat herself down and he pushed her gently in, returning to his post by the wall. She wondered if perhaps each main room in the palace had it's own special servants. She also wondered what they did to entertain themselves when no one was in that room. Back at home they only had two menservants, three maids and a cook. Sae couldn't help but smiling, thinking how they would fuss if they worked here instead, having to stand in a room all day waiting for people to enter for them to serve. The smile disappeared from her lips. This, that persistent little voice in her head reminded her, was the reason why she was grateful for her lot in life, and this opportunity which her father had gotten for her was more than she could have hoped for. Forget Mealina's fanciful notions of true love, Sae was lucky enough being born with this chance.

"I hope I'm not interrupting your thoughts, my dear girl."

Sae looked up and her scrunched face became relaxed and blank as she took in the woman who has just entered the room. Dressed in a voluminous peach dress with white skirts peeking out underneath, the thin elderly lady with three escorts accepted the hand of one of them as they helped her sit down, her other hand carried an open pearl-shade fan which she covered her lower face with.

Once seated, she closed the fan with a quick snap and placed it on the table next to her. "Thank you, you may all go now. I'll ring when I'm ready.'

The three escorts left and the doormen closed the golden doors, isolating Sae and the queen from the rest of the palace.

Up close, for Sae was now seated to the left of the Queen, she was happy to see the monarch had raven hair like herself, though as the Queen was getting on in years it was greying at the roots. Queen Ryona gave Sae a kind half-smile and Sae noted her green eyes were dull, and the rest of her face looked tired. Even dressed up in dazzling royal clothes, Sae could still see this Queen was worn out. Perhaps it was all this finding her son a consort business, Sae thought.

"So, you are Lady Sae, I take it?"

"Yes your majesty, I am she." Sae answered as the servants brought in plates of food before them.

"That is a peculiar name though. Is it short for something or were your mother and father fond of originality?"

"It is…short for another name, but I confess I do not like to disclose that name, and I assure you your majesty _Sae_ is a lot easier to say and remember than my real, painfully original name."

The Queen grinned. "Very well, I see you choose to keep your secrets. You will find, Lady Sae, that in this palace, everyone is fond of keeping a secret or two, so you will not feel out of place, I'm sure."

Sae wasn't _quite_ sure what the Queen was trying to convey by this, and yet, she doubted if she inquired further she would be told anything more, and so the subject was dropped and a new on introduced.

The food, Sae found, was both similar and different to what she ate at home. Similar in the sense that there were similar dishes served, essential vegetables and fruits, soups and meats prepared after the usual fashion in Fu Naru; only there was a lot more food at the palace, more variety and courses to choose from. Sae was having a hard enough time picking between the dishes in front of her and the dishes being presented to her by incoming servants carrying trays, and she wondered why everyone in the palace was not fat with all this food being brought out at each sitting. Once she was thoroughly fed and feeling more full then she'd ever been before, especially after the dessert was brought out, the Queen called in her escorts and requested that Sae follow her into the East drawing room, where she would be introduced to the two princes.

To say the least Sae was nervous at this point, and having a full stomach suddenly decide to fill up with butterflies was not the most comfortable of feelings. She scolded herself as they made their way down the palace's halls, ones Sae doubted she'd ever memorize, even if she were to end up living here. How could she, realistic girl she prided herself on being, become anxious at this point? This was no time to be getting jittery; this was her chance to size up the man she could one day be married to. There was no need to feel uneasy when this was a matter entirely up to chance, and the last thing she intended on doing was getting any sort of feelings involved in the matter.

They at last came to the cream coloured east drawing room, which seemed to match the servants' shell-palette attire, Sae thought with a small smile. Two young men were already sitting by the card table in the middle of what looked like a game of old maid. The younger one had just picked one of the two last cards from his partner's deck and let out a fervent "no!" while the other laughed and with a big smile stated, "'fraid you lose. Seems my skills of trickery have improved."

"Best five out of seven then." The younger one implored, pulling at the collar of his shirt as if it were too tight.

"Ahem, boys." Queen Ryona cleared her throat.

Their attention was drawn to the lady standing by the entrance, but soon both sets of eyes had rested on Sae. With that continuing big smile, the clearly elder prince who had won the game stood up and made his way to the Queen and Sae, taking both their hands and kissing them.

"A pleasure it is to see you mother. And you, Lady Sae, I believe your name is."

"Yes, thank you Prince Sevastian." Sae found herself returning his infectious smile.

"And this is my younger son, Prince Fabian."

The younger prince followed Sevastian's lead and welcomed both ladies, though Sae noted he was much more awkward in his movements, and he began fiddling with his collar again. He gave her the immediate impression of a caged bird wanting to break out of its surroundings, or in Fabian's case, his uncomfortable royal attire. Fabian she also noted had hazel eyes, the famous hazel eyes of Fu Naru's royals, as well as black hair, which she guessed he inherited from his mother. Sevastian was sporting golden-red locks and warm emerald eyes, brighter then his mother's dull green ones. Both princes were tall and she guessed Fabian to be around her age, and Sevastian perhaps four or five years older.

So far, he seemed normal enough, handsome and in every way the gentlemen, graceful in his behaviour compared to his younger brother, though perhaps a little too happy. She noted this within ten minutes after meeting him as everyone was seated and conversing. Sevastian it seemed, had almost a permanent smile on his face, as if he had something always to smile about, as if he were only too eager to laugh should something funny happen. Though his smile was kind and soft, it did perturb Sae slightly, being a young lady who was not big on emotional expression herself and did not smile unless she had reason to. Perhaps they would complement each other, she found herself thinking, as the Queen asked her younger son where he had ridden that day. Their time together that evening in the drawing room however was not destined to be long.

"Alas, it is getting late Lady Sae," Queen Ryona said after twenty-odd minutes. "I did mean for you to meet with one more person before you retire to bed tonight, and therefore I think it best we end our gathering here for tonight and commence with this tomorrow evening."

"Yes your majesty." Sae said, getting up at once and wondering who else she had to meet tonight. Perhaps it was the King, she thought, though rumour had it he was bed ridden and too ill to see anyone.

Just then the head servant Gallagher appeared at the door, looking as nervy as ever, as if he were a kettle about to go off, Sae noted.

"Your majesties, Lady Sae," He bowed to them all, "I'm here to show Lady Sae to the Royal Advisor, he is waiting in his study now."

"Perfect timing, Gallagher," The Queen said, turning to Sae. "Well, here is your escort to the final person you shall need to meet tonight. I dare say he'll be very important to you during your stay here, he is the man to go to for anything."

"Thank you your highness." Sae bowed to all three of them, bidding them goodnight, and as she turned to leave Prince Sevastian said, "be sure to tell him hullo from his best mate, he hasn't come out of that study of his in a while."

"I…ugh, will." Sae said surprised, as she followed Gallagher out of the drawing room.

"I do not have all the time in the world to be your escort, milady," Gallagher began to say he lead her up to another level of the palace. "So be sure to memorize the way to Roderick's study now, he is usually in there, when he's not out taking care of things in the palace."

"Roderick is…the Royal Advisor, I take it then?" Sae asked.

"He is. He's a busy man, not as busy as me of course, being head servant and all, but as the Royal Advisor he has a lot on his hands as well. That didn't stop the Queen from appointing him in charge of helping the potential consorts, so if you need to know anything, he's the one to go to."

"But I thought that's what my ladies-in-waiting and Mayah were for."

Gallagher turned down the left hall and said, "They are for taking care of you; for making sure you are well fed, well clothed, sleeping well and are generally comfortable here at the palace. His Royal Advisor, Roderick, is in charge of explaining what you must do while you are here, and helping you out with your tasks any way he can. As I said before, if you have a question about anything, he is your man. Now…here we are."

He stopped in front of a pair of dark-stained oak doors and gave a graceless knock.

"Come in," a deep masculine voice said from within.

Gallagher drew the doors open and beckoned for Sae to go in. As soon as she stepped in the head servant closed the doors behind her.

When Sae looked before her the first thing she met with was piercing sea-blue eyes. Taking in the rest of the man who stared back at her from his desk she noted dark brown hair, a young looking face and a very serious expression. The young man stood up from his desk and beckoned for her to sit down. As Sae took a seat across from his study desk she wondered why everyone who worked at the palace seemed too young to be in the high positions they were. She thought Gallagher looked young to be the head servant, but this guy who looked the same age as Prince Sevastian and was already the Royal Advisor. How was that even possible? Didn't the King need old, wise men advising him?

Sitting back down, the young man said, "Lady Sae, it is a pleasure to meet you. I am Roderick, advisor to the Crown Prince and in charge of instructing you with all you need to know for the time you are here."

"Pardon me, but did you say _Advisor to the Crowned Prince_? But, aren't you the _Royal Adviso_r around here, I mean, to the King and such?"

Roderick looked at her for a moment as if reading her expression before answering. "There are two Royal Advisors for the current King at this moment; I am but the advisor for the current Crowned Prince Sevastian. However, seeing as the current King will not be with us for long judging by his health, Sevastian has already named me the new Royal Advisor for when he is crowned. The other two will then work under me."

"That seems a little unfair for those older men. They're being demoted."

"That's palace life." He said, and Sae thought perhaps a little harshly. "Now, if you are satisfied with knowing my exact position in the palace at present, I'd like to move on to why we are here."

So cold, Sae thought, both his sea-blue eyes and his personality. "Yes, please go on."

"You are, up to date, the seventh lady I've had to have this conversation with. Whether or not you are the last is up to…up to your ability, and up to chance, I suppose."

"That I am aware of." Sae answered.

"Good, then you understand this will be no easy time for you. The Queen, in deciding a consort for her son, has laid out six tasks that must be completed in order for you to claim that position."

Finally, Sae thought, as sombre as he is, here is finally someone who talks sense. All this madness about love really amounts to nothing. _In the end this is me, testing my abilities to claim a position, and nothing more_.

"You will have a ten day period between performing each of the six tasks, making the duration of your stay here, should you successfully complete them all, roughly two months. Then you will be sent back home and settlements between your father and the Queen will take place and a wedding date will be set. Now as for your tasks, you will be informed about them five days before you are to carry each of them out. You will also be allowed someone in the palace to help you prepare for it—anyone but the Queen herself, for she is to be your judge and tester for every task. If need be the person who helps prepare you for each task may also assist you in it, though there is a limit to how much they can do for you. Should you fail any of your tasks you are sent home on that same day."

"How merciless."

"That," he repeated, "is palace life."

"Perhaps," Sae answered, "but who decided it had to be?"

"The Queen did." He answered.

"I'm not talking simply about the task rules. I meant that you seem to equate all the rigid consequences happening here as "palace life" in general, such as those advisors being demoted. I was merely asking you, who decided palace life should be like that?"

Roderick blinked at her as if seeing her for the first time, but he recovered within a second. "Live in these walls for long enough Lady Sae, and you'll find some things aren't as easy to change as your words would suggest."

Sae shrugged. "I suppose you are right. This is my first time in a palace after all. So, is there anything else you need to tell me?"

"There is one more thing," He said. "As appointed by her majesty, if you need advice on anything during your stay I am of course here to help. In the evenings I'm always in my study, though during the day you may find me anywhere in the palace tending to whatever work needs to be done."

"Thank you…Roderick, that is duly noted. I may call you Roderick, yes? Or would you prefer his royal crown prince's advisor?"

Roderick shook his head diffidently. "Roderick is fine, Lady Sae."

"Call me Sae. Her majesty addresses me as Lady enough as it is and I am feeling awfully old after being called it so much today."

"I suppose then, you do not get out into society often, if you are not used to being called _Lady_." He casually remarked, catching Sae off guard.

"Actually I'm mostly at home with my younger siblings."

"Is that so? Well, if you have no further questions _Lady Sae_, then I have nothing further to say, and you may adjourn for bed."

She paused, momentarily annoyed at his decision to ignore her request and call her Lady anyway, but then pressed on with the question that had been on her mind since her resolution to come to the palace. "Actually, I do have one question."

"And that is…?"

"Of the six ladies who were contenders before me, how far were they able to complete the tasks?"

"I believe it was the fourth young lady, Princess Drelinda of Luthfort who completed the first four tasks but failed the fifth. All the others have done less."

"Then task five must have been hard, what was it called again?"

Roderick, for the first time since she'd met him, half-smiled, and though it wasn't so much of a grin as it was the corner of his mouth turning slightly upwards, she still thought it was an improvement, making his face quite handsome. "I did not say what it was called and I have no intention of telling you before you are meant to know."

"Well, that is a pity then, though you can't fault me for trying."

Roderick was about to say something else when someone knocked gently at the door, making Sae jump slightly in her seat.

"Come in." Roderick said.

Mayah entered, looking as plump and kind as ever. Sae noticed how Roderick's cold serious expression considerably softened and wondered if Mayah emitted that maternal aura wherever she went, so much so that she could even make a detached advisor look like he had just seen his mother. Mayah had, after all, been a maid in this palace for decades, so she supposed by now everyone had warmed up to the kind old lady.

"I'm sorry for disturbing you Roderick but I just came to see if Sae was done. I noticed Gallagher took off to take care of something so I supposed she'd need help in finding her room from here."

"Yes, we're done here, thank you." Standing up from his seat, he gave Sae a small head bow as she got up, and said, "I'll see you tomorrow Lady Sae."

"Thank you Roderick, oh and Prince Sevastian told me to tell you he says hi."

Roderick shook his head and it looked to Sae as if he were restraining from rolling his eyes.

"Well goodbye then." She said, leaving the room with Mayah.

"So," Mayah asked as they walked down the corridors, "how do you like it here so far?"

"To be honest, I'm finding it all a little bit strange, but there's nothing I can't handle and I think I'll fit in quite comfortably once I get used to it all."

"Good," Mayah smiled, "that was the answer I was hoping for."


	3. Part One: 2

**Part One**

* * *

It was the first night she had ever slept outside of her father's manor, and though this may sound surprising for a girl of seventeen, it wasn't such a wonder if taken into account the number, or lack thereof, of friends Sae had. Not being a particularly friendly girl, or more to the point, being very introverted and withdrawn, she did not make friends with the other chatty, lively maidens her age, and so, when said young ladies were inviting each other over to spend summers or winters at their estates, Sae was not included. Which suited Sae's reserved manner just fine, or so Sae told herself. Spending her first night outside of home, and in a palace no less, made Sae come to terms with all she had been missing. The excitement, however small on her part, she could not deny feeling. As she lay down to sleep in a bed the size of a boat, almost twice the size of her own bed, which she had always thought rather big, she pulled the soft silk sheets imported from the east over her. They were not unlike the ones she had at home which made her feel more comfortable, as she stared up at the magnificent canopy surrounding her bed and wondered what it would be like to live in the palace for the rest of her life. That was, of course, if she were able to pass the six tests that the six ladies before her had all failed. Would she like palace life? Roderick, the soon to be Royal Advisor had described it as being so unfriendly, so cold, though she suspected that was just his own personality he was describing. Would she like it though? Or would palace life prove to be too much for her. Well, she figured as long as she was here endeavouring to meet the Queen's requirements, this would likewise be her chance to observe the true environment of the palace.

The next morning she was awoken to a familiar sight. Maids were in her room, drawing curtains, stoking the fire, and setting out her apparel for the day. As her vision came to she recognized her three new ladies-in-waiting, Beda, Alesia, Phélie. Beda had secured the curtains on their parting knobs and was now opening the windows to let in fresh air. Alesia was carefully emptying the shoot from the fireplace and replacing the ash with new freshly cut logs. As soon Phélie had placed the pink summer gown by Sae's bed Mayah walked in and began pulling Sae's covers back saying, "Come Sae, we have the bath prepared for you."

At home Sae was usually assisted by her maid Tila in bathing and dressing, so she felt a little conscious having four new ladies pouring the lukewarm water over her and helping her scrub her back, then placing the robes over her and finally helping her into her garments and dress. Would she ever get used to this? Would she even need to? She couldn't help wondering though, as the whole process was being done, if perhaps all the palace women were mentally checking and noting things about her body, ready to report back to the Queen should there be any defects. Well, she had nothing to worry about, though the thought still made her blush a little, much to her annoyance.

Her maids directed her to the breakfast room, and Sae found herself eating alone on the occasion. Perhaps her hosts all kept different hours in the palace. She wasn't sure if she had woken up too early or too late. After her morning meal she was left to wander the palace, her ladies-in-waiting having left during her breakfasting for other pressing matters, and Mayah had long left, having a previous arrangement with the Queen.

On her first day in the palace, Sae had been convinced the place went on for miles to which she would never memorize. Now on her second day, once she had the chance to explore, she became convinced that the halls were never ending and she'd find herself lost in some obscure corner of the palace soon, never to be heard of again. Goodness, she hoped one of the challenges wasn't to navigate through this labyrinth masquerading as a King's home.

Just as she was about to give herself up for lost, after having come down the same hall with those ancestral royal family portraits for a third time, she noted at the end of said hall were three people, a man and two small children. The man was dressed regally, yet in a comfortable dressed-down sort of fashion. She recognized it as casual knight garb. . With sandy brown hair and a broad back Sae could easily say he was one of the handsomest young men she had ever seen, and quite possibly the tallest. Next to his tall stature, the children he seemed to be half-heartedly scolding were quite miniscule. The eldest child, a girl Sae doubted had yet reached the age of ten, was staring defiantly back up at the knight. Her arms were crossed resolutely in front of her and she had dark brown hair, which was styled with multiple braids laced together at the back to form a long double braid. The younger boy beside her, maybe around seven Sae guessed correctly, had lighter brown ruffled locks of hair, and as Sae came closer to them, she noticed his bright green eyes twinkled mischievously.

Once close enough so the young knight noticed her, he suddenly stopped scolding the children, though with the smirk he was lecturing them with Sae doubted he was being truly serious. He looked up to her, straightened himself up because he was no longer talking to pint-size children, and Sae was able to fully take in his incredible height. The smirk he wore when telling the children off now turned into a genuine smile as he asked in a silky voice, "and may I inquire after you, lovely maiden? Who may you be?"

"I'm Sae." She said, giving him her hand to kiss.

He took it, and grinning at her kissed it lightly. "Lady Sae, it's a pleasure to be in your presence. I am Sir Lisario at your service."

The children next to them suddenly coughed in indication, and Lisario smirked, not taking his eyes off Sae. "Oh, and these two are the royal brats, my cousins and cousins to the Princes, Cornelia and her brother Whitmark. Though everyone here just calls them Con and Wit because they're sharp little tricksters. You had better watch out for these two and their misdeeds during your stay here. Unfortunately their keeper, Roderick, never does have time to watch over them, so they run quite wild around here."

"Do not talk about us as if we were not present." Cornelia huffed, and her brother added an avid "yeah!"

"Did you say their keeper was Roderick?" Sae asked.

"Aye, I did. I'm guessing you've met him then. He's their older brother, but as the new Royal Advisor it seems he doesn't have time to keep these two on a leash. Which reminds me," Sir Lisario turned back to the children, "I'll put you two on my own leash and tie you outside in the knight's training grounds if you two pull a stunt like that again."

"Wait, did you say he's their brother? Then he's related to the royalty too then?"

"Of course, we're all cousins. How else do you think at two and twenty he's in line to be a Royal Advisor? Or me, for that matter, at twenty-three and already a full-fledged knight. Not that I am complaining however, I am quite grateful for the honour of my position, especially since Fu Naru is one of the last modern countries who still employ knights."

"It is?" Sae asked thoughtfully, for all her life she had heard of the famous Fu Naru knights.

"Yes, quite. Since the last century I dare say knighthood is a dying race. They've invented a new style of defence for the crown, a sort of assembly of men they call an "army" funny enough. Regardless, my point my lady was that family connections run deep in Fu Naru."

'So you're all related then." Sae said more to herself then him.

She was just about to add something else when the head servant, Gallagher, popped up out of thin air, or so Sae was convince he did, and said, "Lady Sae, I've been looking for you everywhere. You are scheduled for riding lessons right now."

"Riding lessons?" Sae raised an eyebrow to that.

"Oh your highness." Cornelia suddenly got down on the floor bowing to Gallagher.

"Oh, your majesty." Her brother Whitmark followed suit, and soon both of them were dancing around him garnishing him with royal titles left and right.

Gallagher pushed them away in his harassed manner, calling them troublemakers and telling them to quit with their mischief. As they wouldn't stop and Gallagher only seemed to get nervier, he turned to Sae and barked at her to hurry up and go to her chambers and get dressed for riding, leaving the hall in a huff.

As soon as he was out of sight both the children and the knight all laughed, and when noticing Sae's confused expression, Sir Lisario said after he had his good laugh, "Well, they aren't called the royal pains for nothing. I've warned you milady, watch out for these two."

Sae left them in the hall to go and get ready. Her three ladies-in-waiting were all in her room tiding up the place and changing the bed sheets.

"I have riding lessons apparently." Sae explained to them and they helped her get ready.

As Sae walked over to the horse stables she observed the extent to which the fields and pastures went around the palace. There was a lot of good land for riding, and yet the grass looked soft enough to sleep on. She wondered how many servants they had taking care of the palace grounds.

"Hello, you must be Lady Sae."

Sae turned to see a young man dressed in loose fitting breeches and a hemp shirt; he had warm honey-hazel eyes, sandy brown hair, and a calm, soft voice.

"Yes I am, but please just call me Sae. You are the stable boy I take it?"

He softly laughed, quietly adding. "Among other things."

"I am here for riding lessons, but I'm sure you know that."

"That I do. The mare you'll be riding, Ivory, is this way if you'll follow me."

Sae followed him into the stables and stopped at the third stall as he went in to take the ivory-white horse out. First however, he said hi to Ivory, brushing her mane with his big hands and whispering things to the horse Sae could not hear. Once out of her stall Sae was impressed by how big and fair the mare was.

The stable boy got Ivory saddled up and bought her out into the riding fields.

"You do know how to ride correct?" He asked, steering Ivory with the reigns as he walked onto the open fields.

"Of course. We have a stable back home, though I admit my mare is no where near as beautiful as this one is."

"Alright" He seemed to visibly relax. "She's a gentle one so you should have nothing to worry about. I just feel better knowing you can ride her without falling off. Now, this is Ivory, Ivory meet Sae."

Sae stepped forward and looked into the horses' eyes, stroking her with her hand. "And what is your name?" She added, looking to the boy suddenly.

"Condor," He said, looking out into the fields. "It looks like a nice day to ride too. Well, I'll help you on then."

"Could you tell me Condor, why is it I must have riding lessons?"

"Queen's orders. She wants to make sure the lady to marry her eldest son is able to ride a horse. The Queen feels it is beneficial both to a lady's daily exercise and her refinement in talents."

As he helped her mount, she said, "I am able to ride though, so I suppose I will not need lessons. Still, it would be nice to have a ride daily just to clear the mind."

Condor smiled. "So you like riding then, good. The last lady had an aversion to horses, and I was very happy to see her go."

Sae didn't know whether to smile at this or not.

"Most here at Fu Naru do love riding though. His majesty the younger prince Fabian for example, rides whenever he gets the chance. He went off earlier this morning with his horse; he usually goes riding out into the farther fields and even through the woods. If you come to ride everyday as the Queen advises for all the young ladies, you may see him around here."

Sae nodded, thankful he was giving her hints about the Queen. Grabbing onto the reigns and swinging her heel against the horse to initiate the ride, the mare Ivory then took off and Sae found herself enjoying an hour of riding.

o-o-o

"Now that is some way to spend the morning." Sae sighed deeply, falling back onto her heather bed, her arms spread out and her face tinged pink from the fresh air of the riding fields.

"I take it milady had a good time then?" Her eldest lady-in-waiting, Beda with the crow-coloured hair, inquired with a polite smile.

"Yes, it brings back memories of home." Sae closed her eyes turning to her side on the bed with a deeper sigh. She had barely been here a day and already thinking about home. She needed to stop it.

"It is great exercise for a young maiden, and the fields of Fu Naru are quite favourable for horse riding." Alesia, Sae's red-haired and unarguably prettiest lady-in-waiting noted, as she restocked the fire.

"Speaking of the fields, I think that this is the perfect outfit for you to wear now." Phèlie, the youngest maid with the shining blonde hair that reminded Sae of Mealina, came forward from her armoire holding out a pale green summer gown.

Sae pulled herself up to a sitting position on the bed and looked down at herself. True, she would be expected to change out of her riding clothes, though at home she was quite used to leaving them on after riding, always ready should she feel up to another ride before sunset. However, being at the palace meant she had to follow a new set of rules.

"Yes, thank you." Sae said, getting up. "It will do just fine I think."

"Actually milady," Phèlie continued, holding up the gown, "I thought it would be perfect apparel should you give us the opportunity to show you some more of Fu Naru's magnificent fields. The riding grounds are nothing compared to the strawberry fields the palace is famous for. I thought perhaps we could introduce you to them."

"Ah, and go strawberry picking yourself as well?" Beda added, her tone half-disproving, half-teasing. "Yes milady, you must watch out for little Phèlie here, she is a strawberry fiend."

Sae smiled at the girl. "And why not? Strawberries are quite sweet, and you Phèlie I think are the sweetest girl around my age I've ever met."

Phèlie smiled and blushed at the praise but Alesia laughed good-naturedly, saying, "well Lady Sae, you can't know too many girls your own age then, can you?"

It was meant as a joke, which is why all three ladies laughed, Phèlie included though it was a playful jab towards her, but Sae did not laugh. Mostly, because though they didn't realize it, but the fiery-haired maid was correct.

When they noticed the slightly abashed looked on Sae's face however, they ceased immediately.

Phèlie, who did not have the tact Beda and Alesia did, or perhaps she was just too genuine a person, impulsively said, "Well, from what I've seen of the six ladies who have come before you, I do not blame you for not having friends such as them in this kingdom."

"I do have one or two…_acquaintances_ I have met at social gatherings," Sae admitted to, "but nothing more, I am afraid."

"Phèlie," Beda scolded, "Do not talk of your superior ladies in such a way. The Queen would be ashamed if she heard her servants speaking in such a liberal manner about her past guests."

"Oh, the servants talk about everyone all the time, just not in front of the guests, so I do not see how I am doing such a wrong thing. I said nothing impolite about _Sae_ after all. Now she is a lady I can tell I shall get along with." Phèlie smiled, and Sae found herself slowly smiling back.

Alesia laughed lightly. "Well Beda, that is true. Phèlie has in fact said nothing vulgar about Lady Sae, just about, ahem, some of the past ladies. Anyway, milady," she turned and addressed Sae directly, "how about we get you washed and dressed and ready for those strawberry fields?"

And as the ladies helped Sae get freshened up after her horse riding, and get changed into the pale green day gown, Sae began to note things about them. It seemed as though the decade difference of age between Beda and Phèlie meant they had two very dissimilar outlooks on most things, while Alesia who was a year older then Sae and happily in the middle of the other two, always seemed the one to smooth things over, or at least very good at changing the topic, and there by diffusing any situation.

"Oh Sae, you're about to see why Fu Naru palace is so famous for its strawberry fields, I'm very excited." Phèlie said, linking arms with her as they made their way down the dusty path towards the fields.

The other two trailed behind them, Alesia with a smile playing on her lips and Beda with pursed lips. It did not go unobserved by her that in the space of one day since the new contender's arrival, Phèlie had gone from calling her the proper "milady" to now addressing her simply, shockingly as "Sae" and she was holding her arm as if they were childhood chums, and not servant and mistress as they ought to be. What only made matters worse was that the guest mistress in question did not rebuke Phèlie for addressing her so friendly, so boldly, no, it seemed the young maiden was comfortable with her maid linking arms with her and talking to her so intimately. This was not the right behaviour of a future Queen, indeed Beda thought, it most certainly was not.

Once they reached the edge of the fields, Phèlie pulled apart the two baskets stacked together which she had been carrying in her free hand, and passed one to Sae. Alesia carried the third woven basket in her arms and Beda chose not to participate.

"Now milady, feast your eyes upon that." Alesia said, her violet-blue eyes sparkling in the sunlight as she made a gesture with her long graceful arm towards the fields that lay before them.

"Oh my!" Sae felt herself cupping her cheek in wonder at the sight before her.

The clear, robin-egg coloured sky hung above the fields, dazzling everything below. Though it did not rain much in Fu Naru during the dry season, the grasslands were rich with green hues, fresh and abundant tufts of healthy grass blanketed the field. Though green was not the only colour to overwhelm Sae's eyes. Patches of tantalizing red were scattered artlessly everywhere her vision could reach, far onto the distance. The sight alone made her tongue tingle for the taste of the sweet strawberries; she could only imagine how heavenly they would be once she got the chance to try them.

"It's beautiful." She said, and she meant it. "Like a landscape portrait, only no colours of paint could not do this justice."

"Well then," Phèlie said happily, tightening her hold on her friend and pulling her along, "let's quench our appetites, shall we?"

Sae found herself laughing, not something she did very often, as the girls set about to finding the perfect strawberries to pick for their baskets. They were having a hard time of it though. There were too many perfect ones to choose from, and more likely then not the strawberries would end up in their mouths rather than their baskets

"Alesia," Phèlie called, "here I have found a path of baby strawberries, probably still another week to grow, but they match your hair perfectly."

Alesia laughed and made her way over, making a show of pulling a long strand of her red locks across the patch of strawberries Phèlie had crowded by, just to see if she was right. Sae admired the way her scarlet hair shone in the sun, a very deep rich red, much like the strawberries they were picking. She envied how both Alesia and Phèlie's hair lit up under the daytime shine, and her eyes wondered to Beda, who had that same black hair she did. Perhaps Beda noticed as well?

Beda had found herself a dry, clean tree stump and sat herself down. She was not picking any strawberries herself, and she was not watching any of the girls either. She looked like she was off in her own thoughts, and Sae had only a moment to wonder what it was that had Beda so distracted before Phèlie grabbed her arm again and pulled her over to what was apparently a gold mine of especially juicy strawberries.

As the girls continued to pick strawberries under the vibrant sunbeams, Beda turned her attention back to them. Maybe, Beda thought after recollection, she was being too harsh in her judgement on Sae. The Queen Ryona herself was after all very close with Mayah, her oldest, most dear lady-in-waiting and friend. And as she watched Phèlie pulling Sae every which way to look for the best strawberries, and how awkwardly Sae reacted to having another girl her own age, or close to it, being so friendly with her, Beda remembered that Sae admitted to not having many friends, and who knew if she had any at all. So perhaps the young maiden was starved for friendship, and the brazen young servant girl was the very one bold enough to reach out and pull the reserved mistress out of her shyness. Watching the girls on their hunt for strawberries, Beda changed her mind. Sae reminded her more and more of herself at that age, and with the flood of sympathy and understanding that followed this realization, Beda began to like the girl more and more.

As the ladies made their way back to the palace, they encountered Prince Sevastian walking beside his horse and leading the creature by the reigns, and Condor, the stable boy walking on the other side, both of them in light conversation.

The moment the ladies saw them Phèlie let out a squeal. "Oh, it's his highness and S—" but then she stopped, blushing profusely.

Beda gave her a disproving look and Alesia quickly added for Sae, "don't mind her, she likes to call the stable boy Condor, _Sparrow_, some silly game they played as children."

"Oh, you've known Condor since you were young then?" Sae asked as they came closer to the two young men.

Phèlie nodded, blushing further and not meeting her eyes. "Yes, well, we both did grow up working in the palace."

Then again, Sae thought to herself, it was interesting how Phèlie was now avoiding her glance, as if she was trying to hide something, something Sae was pretty sure she'd already figured out. Phèlie it seemed, cared more about her childhood friend then perhaps she had meant to convey, and she was now embarrassed.

The men reached them in no time, everyone saying what was proper and expected. Sae noted that Condor's body tensed yet his face softened, though he didn't seem to be looking at or avoiding Phèlie. So perhaps Phèlie's feelings were a one-sided thing?

"Would you like some strawberries?" Alesia offered to Condor who stood opposite from her.

Without speaking Condor nodded and took with care from her basket, his face lighting up at the taste. "Every year these little red delights throw me off; whatever I'm expecting to taste, the result is always better."

"Lady Sae," Sae jumped slightly when she realized Beda was discreetly whispering behind her, "why not offer the prince some strawberries?"

Sae plastered the nicest smile she could muster onto her face and looked up at the ever-smiling prince Sevastian. "Would you like to try some your highness?"

"I would indeed." He licked his lip in anticipation as she handed him a strawberry.

From the moment it entered his mouth he looked like he was in bliss. "This is wonderful. Thank you Lady Sae, you have picked the best ones, I see. May I trouble you for another one?"

Sae found herself beaming at his friendly and easygoing behaviour. "You may have as many as you like."

The Prince had taken three more before Condor interrupted, saying, "Your majesty, we must continue on if you need to get back by afternoon."

"Yes, you are quite right." He nodded, smiling at the ladies. "Well, we must be off. Thank you though for the strawberries. If there is one thing I love, it is sweet tasting things. Farewell."

"Farewell." They all answered back and Condor gave them a small smile before leaving with the Prince.

"Well, the Prince really does love his strawberries, doesn't he?" Alesia said as if she found it comical.

"When I suggested you offer some to him, I didn't think he would attempt to eat your entire basket." Beda's mouth twitched. "He would have, had the stable boy not called him away."

"He only had four," Sae said in his defence, "though I admit he was eating them rather quickly, I suppose Prince Sevastian really does love sweet things."

All three ladies-in-waiting shared an amused look and Sae wondered what they knew that she apparently didn't.

"Well," she added in an afterthought, "I suppose he could have had them all anyway. A strawberry or two is good enough for me, then I lose interest in them, my sweet tooth isn't very expansive, and I do have no one else to offer these to, though I suppose I could offer some to Mayah."

"Offer some to Roderick!" Phèlie suggested suddenly but looked further embarrassed as Beda shot her a sharp look.

Sae looked to Alesia for another explanation, she seemed to be good with those, and Alesia rolled her eyes and answered Sae's wondering gaze. "Isn't it obvious though? Phèlie has a crush on the Royal Advisor."

Phèlie opened her mouth to say something, but fell silent, blushed and looked away from Sae again.

"But I thought—" Sae began but she was cut off by Beda.

"He does not like sweet things anyway. Now, are we all going to continue standing here or are we going to get back inside? The sun is beginning to give me a headache, as is Phèlie's childish adoration for every single young man in the palace."

Sae had been about to say, '_But I thought she cared for Condor_.' After Beda's words however, she wondered if the young servant girl was perhaps a little fickle in bestowing her feelings.

They made it back to the palace just in time for midday meal. The Queen was there to dine with her again, and Sae was informed that every afternoon and evening meal she would be sharing with the Queen, so that they could get better acquainted. Her sons, Queen Ryona has apologized, were always off busy with their own plans, so rarely did they dine with her. Though she told Sae not to be alarmed should they one day join them, it was known to happen once in a blue moon. As for morning meal, the Queen always took that in her private apartments, so Sae would have to excuse her hostess for abandoning her in the morning, but it was the one habit she could not break. Finding the Queen to be very mysterious in her hushed quiet tones and the tired look in her eyes, Sae didn't mind too much not having her as a breakfast partner.

When Sae made it back to her room that afternoon she found Mayah waiting for her.

'Hello Sae." Mayah said kindly, "and how has the day been treating you thus far?"

"Quite pleasantly." Sae answered, feeling the kind aura from Mayah engulf her and calm her nerves from having just dined with the Queen. "Today my lady's maids and I picked strawberries, which reminds me," Sae went to grab the basket that sat waiting on her cleared writing desk, "would you like one Mayah?"

Mayah smile was gentle and as infectious as the Prince's. "I would love one, thank you my dear. You know, this palace is quite famous for its strawberries. It is a shame his highness has no taste for them."

"But Prince Sevastian ate four of my strawberries." Sae said in confusion.

"I mean his highness Prince Fabian. He is a wild young man. I'm sure you met him your first night here? Yes well, he is the type who would rather be out riding his horse or hunting wild game, then sitting continently in the sunshine eating strawberries. Poor thing never likes to sit in one spot when he can be running all over the place."

Sae remembered her first impression of him, a wild, caged bird, trying to free itself and get out. Nothing Mayah had said surprised her in the least.

After Mayah had taken a strawberry Sae inquired, "where are my lady's maids?"

"Oh, first they are having a meal of their own, then they will be doing further servants work, though they should be back shortly. Their main task now after all is to look after you and see to it you are never in want of anything."

"Yes, well they are doing a splendid job, I do very much like them all." Sae said, and she meant it. Being a girl who did not have friends to speak of in general, she was happy to find she liked all three ladies very much, even Beda who was perhaps a little more reserved then the other two, but suited Sae just fine, because she herself was a detached sort of person.

"I am happy to hear it then." Mayah beamed. "But I did come here to meet you for another reason. In five days Sae, you will be performing your first task, and so, it is time to go visit the Royal Advisor. He will inform you of all you need to know."

"What, already?" She couldn't believe it. It had barely been a day since she arrived, and already she was expected to begin preparing for her first task.

"If you'll just follow me then. I was worried that Gallagher did not give you sufficient directions to the Royal Advisor's study, but as it is Gallagher is busy with other things, so the task falls upon me, and I gladly take it for you Sae" she added kindly.

As they made their way down corridors and halls Sae tried her best to memorize, she noticed midway that she was still clutching onto the basket of strawberries. Oh well, she supposed she could take Phèlie up on her suggestion and offer some to the Royal Advisor, though she doubted he'd take it.

Once they made it to the familiar solid dark oak doors, Mayah knocked smartly and from within Sae heard that same deep drawl, "Come in."

Just like the night before, Sae took in recognizable aspects of his study. The warm colours of the walls, the sturdy looking bookshelf taking up a whole wall, with more books then she could count in a day. She noted that the window, which was pitch black the night before, she should now make out clearly. Though it was stain glass like all the windows in the palace, the sides of it were clear, and looking out she was surprised to see a lovely view of the strawberry fields. Focusing back on the room she took into account the same wide desk, with the same man, those same piercing blue eyes, sitting there waiting patiently for her.

"Well, here you are then, I'll just be off." Mayah said merrily, leaving and closing the door behind her.

"I trust your day has been going well?" Roderick asked politely, then his eye caught the basket she was holding and she saw his eyebrow twitch up for a fleeting moment.

Her gaze followed his, and when she realized what he was looking at she raised the basket up to the desk, smiling sheepishly.

"I don't suppose you would like a strawberry? I spent the morning with my ladies-in-waiting picking some of the most beautiful ones I've ever seen."

"Yes" he said wearily, as if he himself were tired of hearing it, "we do, after all, have the best strawberry fields here, as the palace is famous for."

When she held the basket out for him, he raised his arm and made a brush off gesture. "I thank you for offering me one, but I detest sweet things."

"Oh," she said, pulling the basket off the desk.

Well, they had told her that, after all. She suppressed from laughing at the irony that his office should have a view of the strawberry fields, and that he should be taking up residence at the place that was famous for its strawberries, when he detested them.

"So you are here," he began, breaking her from her train of thought, "and I am sure Mayah has informed you of this, because your first task is five days away, and it's time I prepare you for it."

She nodded her head once to show she was listening and he went on.

"The first task is one that will test your knowledge. The Queen has dubbed it, "The History Test". Namely, you must prove yourself to possess a thorough understanding and familiarity with Fu Naru's history. You will be tested on the past five hundred years of it to be fair, even the Queen feels anything before then will be excess information and not relevant to the aspect she is looking for in the future Queen. Explicitly, she believes a ruler must know their past in order to rule the future, without making the same mistakes again."

"A test in the nation's history?" Sae let her careful composure slip for one moment and she looked genuinely distressed. "And five hundred years worth? How am I going to accomplish that?"

Roderick stared at her for a moment then answered. "If you don't feel up to the first task, then by all means resign now and go back to the comfort of your home. These tasks were designed to find the best woman for the Prince, Lady Sae."

"Don't be preposterous, of course I won't be give up without a good try. Do you think I came all the way from home just so I could turn back at the first sign of exertion and disappoint my father, my whole family? I will not resign, I will…I will give it my best shot."

Roderick nodded once approvingly and said, "Now that is the attitude the Queen is looking for. It may be a comfort for you to know that of the six girls that took the test before you, five of them passed it and moved on. They all, I might add, cleverly choose the right person to prepare them for it. And that is what you now must do as well. You have five days to prepare, so I suggest you decide on whom you wish to assist you in studying up for the first task as soon as possible."

"Would it be possible…"Sae began, "if, that is…I mean, when you told me I could have the help from someone in the palace did you mean anyone? For instance, if I wished to ask the Queen herself, could she help me?"

Roderick stroked the skin of his chin in thought before answering, "You know, you are the only lady to have asked that. I'm afraid the Queen is the only person in this palace with whom you cannot ask, and that is because she is the judge for every task, and therefore it would be conflicting on her part. No, I'm afraid she is out of the question."

Sae smiled regardless. "Well, that is good news to me then, because I had no intention of asking her, but I am happy to know that I can ask anyone else. In fact, I was hoping you would be the one to assist me."

When his blue eyes bore straight into hers she looked away again, uncomfortable with his intensity, and focused instead on the numerous books he carried in his study. Though she did not know what these books were filled with there was no doubt in her mind that he was just the person knowledgeable enough to help her.

"Yes, I was the one all of the previous _successful_ ladies of the history test chose. Perhaps it was because I am the Royal Advisor to the future King and had been appointed in charge of explaining all the tasks to each of them as it was, but they all felt I could help them out the most."

_Good_, Sae thought, _if they all managed it with his help then maybe I can pull through with this as well_.

"Though I warn you," He continued, "I do not go about things halfway. If you wish me to prepare you, you must be ready to put in hard work, effort, and sacrifice. That means on sunny days when your lady's maids wish to go out and pick strawberries you are instead in my study pouring over books and repeating back to me what you've learned. When you wake up you must spend an hour of revision before going to dine, and similarly before bed you are to spend another hour reviewing what you have learned during the day."

_So serious, so sombre_, Sae thought to herself, as he continued describing to her what the next five days would be like should she appoint him as her history tutor. Was it his eyes or his words that felt colder, she could not decide. One thing she knew though, the next five days were not going to be pleasant, not with this man of stone. But she wasn't doing this for him, she reminded herself, she was doing this so she could pass the Queen's ominous tasks, so she could marry Prince Sevastian, so she could become ruler of Fu Naru; so she could please her father.

As she left his study he reminded her to take her basket of strawberries with her, lest they rot on his desk because he would not be eating them. Several minutes later Sae was walking through the corridors, trying to remember how to get back when she came across the two youngest people in the palace who were both out of breath and wore matching bright glints in their eyes, as if they had just escaped from being caught. Instead of asking what mischievous thing they had been doing—Sae had a vague idea she may very well hear about it soon anyway—she smiled at them and asked them politely how their day was going thus far.

"Fine." The elder one, Cornelia, said, eyeing her suspiciously. "And your day, Lady Sae?"

'It has been well." Sae smiled pleasantly. "I spent the morning picking strawberries. Which reminds me, I don't suppose you two would like a basket of them, would you?"

Sae held out said basket and Whitmark, the younger one took it from her hands greedily.

"Wit!" Con protested. "You mustn't just grab sweets so rudely, what would the Queen say if she saw you do that?"

Wit gave Sae an apologetic smile, his mouth already full of two strawberries, and Sae thought amusedly of a chipmunk.

"It is alright, he may have them. I have had my fill of strawberries and was hoping to find someone to take them from me."

Cornelia narrowed her eyes for a moment. "Well, they had better not be poisoned, or you can say goodbye to your chances of marrying the prince."

Sae laughed, though she was surprised. "Poisoned? Why would I want to poison you?"

"Sir _Joust-a-lot_ warned you about us, after all. Told you we would try and confuse you, called us the palace brats, remember?" She may have been the same age as Mealina, but Sae couldn't help but notice how strikingly opposite they were in personality.

"Yes, he did, didn't he?" Sae said, feigning deep thought. "Well, in that case I suppose it was a good idea of mine to poison those strawberries after all. One of you down, one to go I suppose."

Whitmark spit out the remains of the strawberries in his mouth, grasping his neck and gagging at her words.

Cornelia grabbed his hands from his neck and pulled them away with her superior strength, looking sharply at Sae and saying, "that wasn't funny."

Sae gave them a small smile and couldn't help but say, "well, I thought it kind of was."

Once Wit was convinced the strawberries weren't poisoned he resumed devouring them and Cornelia sighed in defeat admitting, "Okay, so it was…but only a little."

When they parted Sae had a feeling that the palace brats would soon be playing a little trick of their own on her, but with a smile she thought, _if they are as good a pair of tricksters as my twin half-brothers, I'll be ready. _


	4. Part One: 3

**Part One**

* * *

Roderick had not been exaggerating when he warned her of his work regime. Five hundred years worth of history seemed daunting when Sae was first informed of the task, and once they actually commenced with the revision, the looming mountain of historical accounts seemed to place an invisible weight on her cowering shoulders; she was feeling the pressure.

"Couldn't you give me any further hints about the test?" She sighed. After two days of studying she found herself slumped forward in her seat, her arm and chin resting sluggishly over a dusty worn book, it's leather covering completely tarnished.

"I have told you everything I could, Lady Sae, as you well know." His mouth barely moved and he didn't look up at her, as he spoke from the other side of his desk.

He was looking over some indecipherable paperwork for palace matters. She was impressed how he could keep concentration and still answer all the insignificant questions she was throwing at him. It was becoming an amusement for her a now, a way of avoiding the moment when she'd have to stop resting on the text and carry on with reading.

"Then you couldn't, for example, tell me how many questions I will be asked?" She added.

"There is no specific number. It will go on either until you get three wrong or until the Queen decides to step in and end it, making you successful of the first task."

"Then, it could go on forever?" Sae lifted her head from the book and looked at him in dismay.

"That," he answered after a pause, his eyes still glancing over the paper in front of him, "depends on how much the Queen likes you, to be frank. You have been dining with her every day since you arrived here. If from what she has gathered she likes, she won't wait too long before ending it, thus helping you succeed. Similarly," here he paused and Sae wondered wryly if he was trying to be dramatic, even if he used such a dry, bored tone, "if she does not favour you, she may keep it going until you answer three wrong, ensuring you lose."

"Roderick!" Sae slammed her hands down and a cloud of dust sprang forth. "Why have you kept that information from me? You should have told me that when you informed me of the task. I've wasted so many chances. I've dined with her so many times since then."

"What's this? Are you saying you haven't already been the most agreeable you could with her highness?"

She bit her lip. "No…no, I have been. Alright, I guess that's true then, I have been as obliging as I could be with her. There's not much more I could do to bend over backwards for the Queen of my country."

"Lady Sae…how about you put off thoughts of buttering up the Queen for now and instead concentrate on extracting the information from the text in front of you?"

"Roderick, I told you to call me Sae, just _Sae_. I've convinced his highness and my lady's maids, except for Beda that is, to call me Sae."

Here he surprised her by looking up from his paperwork and focusing his eyes on hers. "Stop eluding your revision Lady Sae, and get back to work. In a quarter of an hour I'm going to quiz you on that manuscript."

Having his full attention on her, Sae immediately looked back down at her book and resumed reading. She had fifteen minutes and the outlook was not good.

Her ladies-in-waiting helped Sae out best they could during the evening when she was expected to review everything she had learned from the day. Alesia had a sharp mind and Phèlie a good memory. Even Beda was quite knowledgeable and always seemed to know an obscure fact when the rest of them couldn't remember what it was and where they had read it from. Every morning the ladies would put her volumes of books into piles depending on which she had already read, which she would be needing for the day, and which she would read later on. The Royal Advisor had been quite helpful in allowing her to take the books from his personal study back up to her quarters for further study, with the exception of five specific books filled with a complete account of the last five hundred years that he insisted stayed in his study. She had to read them in his study during the afternoons.

After the first couple of days Sae became quite familiar with the warm tones of the study, the large smooth desk she sat by and the walls of books. She tried not to longingly look out the stain glass window with the clear side panels, which showed a peek of the tempting strawberry fields. They would be there for her after the first task. One thing she could not become accustomed to however was the presence of the Royal Advisor. Was it his chilling sapphire eyes, or his cold, dry demeanour that made her more restless? Whether it was either or both, or even more than that, she could not sit there and relax the same way she could at home, or in her quarters with her lady's maids. When he wasn't quizzing her, or asking her to repeat the last passage she has just read and explain it, he just sat there on the other side of his desk, going over his paperwork. Always busy, always getting things done and taking charge as an advisor to the future king of the country. She wondered if he was happy with his life, or perhaps a little depressed.

These were the thoughts that were on her mind the evening before the test as she stared into space, a neglected book on her lap.

"Sae, stop doing that." Alesia's voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

"Doing…what?" She mumbled, looking to her left.

She was sitting her on bed with the book she was supposed to be reviewing resting her on crossed legs, which were covered by her nightgown. All four of her lady's maids and Mayah stood around her bed.

"You keep blanking out milady, you have got to concentrate for the test tomorrow." Beda answered, her voice dripping with disproval.

"Right. Right…." Sae nodded, looking back down at her book in defeat.

"I've come to see how you are doing Sae." Mayah said warmly. "I've also brought you some warm milk and honey. You mustn't stay up too late though, rest is important for your brain."

"Yes, thank you." Sae smiled, accepting the chalice.

"It is getting on in the evening, so I think you should all leave her to sleep now." Mayah continued, turning to Sae's ladies-in-waiting.

"Alright…" Phèlie said, reluctantly, "just remember to go over the _War of 1428_ Sae, you seem to forget a lot of things from that one."

"And don't forget the _Great Nimbada_ either," Alesia added.

"And _Gali the Grave_ and his reign, you always forget him in the ruler timeline." Beda added with a murmur.

"Alright, out with you all now before you give the poor girl more things to worry about when she needs her rest most." Mayah said, shooing them out the door.

Once the room was cleared of lady's maids Mayah sat on the edge of her bed and said, "Listen Sae. I have every faith that you will pass tomorrow's test. You chose the best assistant in the palace for this task, and your ladies-in-waiting care enough about you to have really helped you out these past days." Her eyes glinted knowingly a moment later. "I also happen to have it that the Queen has taken a liking to you."

"She has? Really?"

"Really." Mayah grinned. "So rest my dear. Not that looking up those three points your maids mentioned wouldn't hurt, but just a glance through. You should not be up for another hour when you can always continue tomorrow morning. The task is not until noon, after all."

Once Mayah left Sae did her best to commence studying, but after half an hour she blew out her candle and waited for sleep to claim her. Only, her anxiety did not make this an easy task either. Regardless, she did eventually find sleep, and woke up before dawn to proceed with her studying. Roderick had quizzed her for the final time the late afternoon before, so for the remainder of the morning she had nothing to do but cram into her head what she could and hope there was room for it all.

Noon seemed to come sooner than she expected. She arrived promptly in the throne room, and was taken aback by the number of people there. Though it seemed silly now, she had envisioned the task involving herself, the Queen as the judge and a third faceless servant asking the questions in an empty throne room. Much to her surprise she realized most of the palace residence was now waiting patiently for the test to begin. She spotted her lady's maids all sitting together, a group of knights including Sir Lisario near them, more servants and servant children all looking curiously at her. Even Condor the Stable boy and his fellow stable workers had shown up, and next to him sat the palace brats Con and Wit, both looking like they were getting ready to see something entertaining.

On the throne sat the Queen, next to her the crown prince Sevastian, and on the other side Prince Fabian. Roderick stood near them with bunched up scrolls in arms and with a lifting feeling Sae realized he would be the one testing her in front of everyone as the Queen judged. Then perhaps he would go easy, would choose questions he knew she'd get right? Was this why all those other girls who chose him were successful? Then she caught his eye and from the cool, unfeeling look she intercepted from him she realized he was not going to go easy on her.

"I now call for silence." Said the Queen in her misty voice, rising from her throne. "The test will now begin. I ask not a word is said from this point on, save the questioner, the contender and myself. Not a word from any other soul until the task had ended."

She then turned to Sae and gestured to the vacant gold chair not far from her. "Please, be seated."

Sae did as she was told, and Roderick placed himself by a podium off to the side. "I shall now begin the questioning." He declared, clearing his throat. "Lady Sae, please name the year and village in which the _Red Ambush_ took place."

Sae bit her lip. This was familiar of course…she had a sinking feeling that every question she was about to be asked would seem familiar to her…but could she actually remember the answers to them? The Red Ambush…something clicked in her mind when she realized he had just said, "which village". This was a hint he was giving her. He had told her during one of their study sessions that in the earlier days they had categorized events by village, but in the past three hundred years they no longer deciphered by village but broke up the country into four main regions, the north, south, east and west, especially since most of the old villages had merged with others to form bigger regions of the country. Then she remembered how he had told her of the ways villages used to associate themselves with colour. _But wait, that meant—_

"Wasn't the Lei Pon village associated with the colour red?" She asked dumbly. "Is it Lei Pon?"

Roderick gave a quick nod. "You must now answer which year it took place in order to get the question right."

Lei Pon…she knew it was a village that no longer existed. It had merged with the surrounding villages in the west back in the 1500's. Besides that, she hadn't ever heard of it…besides some little snippet about it in the 1300's, 1357 to be exact because of some uprising. _Wait, hold on—_

"The Red Ambush," she said, her voice suddenly confident, "took place in the Lei Pon village in 1357."

"Correct."

She felt such a wave of relief that the next question caught her off guard again. "Who was the reigning sovereign during the Marsh Draught?"

It had been one of those few times in Fu Naru's history in which the natural disaster has plagued the land. Something in her mind told her that the ruler was a decent one who made due with what they could for their people during those hard times. She remembered picturing herself as the ruler, as that Queen. Her memory was slowly coming back to her. It was a Queen who dealt with it, one with a sickly husband similar to the present Queen, and no heirs to carry on, though when her husband recovered from his sickness months later she would soon become the mother to a future ruler of Fu Naru.

"Queen Bultina." Sae said without thinking. Thankfully though, she was right.

And so the questions continued. Sae wasn't doing too badly at first. She took her time with most of them, some of them really stumped her but once she got her mind working the answers just seemed to spring from her lips. It must have been all of Roderick's great tutoring she realized, as she answered a particularly difficult question.

And then she got the next one wrong. Though no one uttered a word she could hear the general intake of breath all around her when Roderick said, "that is incorrect."

Confidence breaking, she struggled with the next set of five questions, wondering how many he was going to ask before she either lost or the Queen called it off.

Then when he asked for the cause of the _Cross Resistance of 1689_ and she fumbled on that question she really began to lose hope. One last shot, she realized. One more mistake and I lose the first task.

She looked at Roderick as he began to ask her another question. How could he look so uncaring she wondered. He had been the one to train her, if she lost wouldn't that reflect poorly on him. Didn't he _want_ her to win?

She got her answer when his next question was, "Name the dates ruled by his late majesty, King Archibald the fifth."

She couldn't help but smile. Almost everyone in the kingdom knew that. After all, Archibald was Prince Sevastian's Grandfather, the current king's father, and he was famous throughout the land for being one of the greatest kings. His death decades ago was a very big deal in the kingdom.

"He reigned from 1721 to 1754, and his reign was known as the _Age of Brilliance._"

Roderick said, "correct" and Sae could have sworn she saw his mouth curve slightly upwards.

"That is enough." The Queen said suddenly, standing up from her seat.

Roderick put his papers down and Sae let out a sigh, trying to steady her heartbeat. She had done it. Task one was complete.

"Very well done Lady Sae," Queen Ryona said, sitting herself back down. "You know your history, an important aspect for a future ruler. You are free to go. The test is now over."

As soon as the words came from her mouth, the room was filled with voices and voices and Sae was overwhelmed by the people speaking all around her, the sudden volume change of the room.

"Might I suggest we get out of here." Someone said behind her and she turned to see her maids.

"Yes, please." Phèlie took hold of her hand and started pulling her away.

Sae looked back to see if maybe she could catch the Royal Advisor's eye and thank him with her gaze but instead she caught Prince Sevestian looking at her, and he smiled and mouthed, "Good for you."

Her ladies ushered her out of the room and back to her quarters where they all congratulated her and complimented her on getting task one done.

"Just remember," Phèlie smiled, "you only have six tasks left."

Sae laughed. "You mean five. I just finished the first one and there's only six in total."

Phèlie blushed and Alesia playfully smacked blonde girl's head saying, "Phèlie, Phèlie, what will we do with you and your forgetfulness? Anyway, yes Sae, just think, you only have five tasks left. Who knows, you may even pass them all."

Just then the very thought dawned on Sae. What she had just went through, all the preparation, all the work, all the anxiety; she'd have to go through with it again…five more times.

"Oh dear, what have I gotten myself into?" She frowned to herself.

"A chance to marry the Prince of your country, that's what." Beda said as if it were obvious.

At the very moment there was a knock on her door and a pleasant masculine voice on the other end spoke. "Sae…you did say you wanted me to call you just Sae? Well, hello it's me, Prince Sevestian."

Her ladies-in-waiting immediately retreated to her bedroom, leaving her there standing alone in the main room of her quarters. Sae went to the door, opening it up and saying, "Well hello your highness."

"Please," he said, his eyes sparkling and his smile as big as ever. "If I am to call you Sae you must call me Sevastian."

"Alright…Sevastian." It felt awkward coming from her but she supposed she would get used to it soon enough.

"I have come to ask you if you would like to take a walk in the gardens with me, that is, if you are not engaged in any other activity at present."

"I am free, and would love a walk." She nodded, gesturing to the door. "Shall we go then? I'm still a little anxious from the task but I think a walk would relax me."

"Then I'm happy I suggested it." He was positively glowing now.

Sae wondered if a human being could constantly look that happy, but even if it would be annoying with anyone else, she felt it was just adorable on the Prince.

The gardens were, like everything else at Fu Naru, spectacular in their simplistic fashion. When the Prince had said garden, Sae had imagined something similar to the one she had back at home. Her stepmother had dedicated years to the carefully structured landscape of specifically chosen plants, letting no weed go unnoticed. Under Countess Kiva's watchful eye Count Arland gained a country garden he could boast about at social gatherings. It was Sae's and her sister Mealina's favourite place to be at home, and the Countess minded not in the least that the girls liked to pick flowers once in a while from her treasured creation…They were meant to be enjoyed and she would have her children enjoy them.

Fu Naru's gardens however were not the same. There were more than one; the rose garden, the apple tree garden, the honeysuckle and jasmine garden, the song bird garden, the butterfly garden, even a frog-pond garden, and a few more.

"My personal favourite, which you will usually find me taking strolls in during the evening, is the lady-bug garden." He mentioned, leading the way.

"Lady bugs?" Sae said doubtfully.

As a bug on its own, it was cute enough, but the idea of a garden filled with ladybugs made Sae squirm.

The Prince laughed at her expression. "Tis' just the name of the garden milady. It is true perhaps you will see a fair amount of ladybugs nesting on the leaves but there is so much more, and the crickets play louder there then any garden as the sun sets. It's music to my ears"

Sae nodded and admitted. "I too like the sounds of crickets at night."

Then she could not look at him, for his smile had now become too much to bear. "Then we must spend an evening or two together in my ladybug garden. I am very delighted to know we have that in common."

Yes, she thought, but what else did they have in common? It was true, they seemed to share a partiality for spending time outdoors, taking walks in gardens particularly, but besides that, any way Sae looked at it, he seemed to be the carefree ever smiling Prince of perfection, whereas she was the reserved quiet-minded simple lady. What was it that they said in those ridiculous fables Mealina was obsessed with? Love could happen in strange places and between strange matches? Yes, and what was it her stepmother used to tell Mealina in response? Opposites attract.

Once they were in the ladybug garden Sae really began to appreciate the Prince's preference. From the direction it was positioned, it was perfect for the setting sun. Of course, at the time it was only a couple of hours past noon, but it didn't take much for her to imagine how spectacular it would look with a few more hours to go.

"Sae, I must congratulate you again on your performance today." He said, turning to her in a friendly manner.

"Thank you." Sae sighed. To be honest, she didn't feel as if she had accomplished such a great thing. Not when she had five other tasks before her.

"I want you to know Sae, as the Prince of this country, and the future ruler of Fu Naru, I appreciate every effort you are putting into this right now."

Here she was surprised by his tone, more serious, just as warm, but less cheery somehow.

"I have seen six ladies go before you. I had wished them all luck, just as I do you, but I believe I should be truthful with you, with you all, and so I would like to take this opportunity to discuss something with you."

He gestured to the iron love seat adorned with intricate leaf designs not far from where they stood, and together they took a seat.

"This may sound optimistic and foolish coming from me," He began, "especially being the heir to the throne, but I was born a lover of love, a hopeless romantic like many before me, and I do hope to find that one day."

Sae opened her mouth but wasn't sure what to say. Love? How could he expect to find love in his position? He had even less chance than _she_ did, being a Prince of a country and made to marry whoever was eligible and suitable for Queen, not for his heart.

"I know, I realize," he said shaking his head to himself, "it is not a wise thing to hope for, to long for, but who am I to suppress what my very soul cries out for? Do you know what I speak of Sae? Do you know this desire for love as I have? I confess, I have been infatuated before, but never in love. And I know, I will not be choosing my wife, though I hope to fall in love with her regardless. Does that make me a fool?"

"I…" At a loss for words, she took the moment he graciously gave her to compose her thoughts. "To want that…to believe in true love and want to find it in your future Queen, I do not think it wrong."

He nodded. "I thought you might understand."

Though of course that was a lie. She did not understand. She was sympathetic for him, felt he had his right to long for love, but she did not understand why, even how he could. It was a desire she herself had never felt.

"This is why Sae, I tell you this. I want you to know, that if you are to succeed and we are to be married, I want you to know I am determined to either fall in love with you, and if that can't happen, then I will still marry you, but my soul will be unsatisfied. This is why, I ask of you Sae, because I do want to find love, I ask of you, even if you succeed, if you do not love me, please do not accept a marriage with me. I know it would be beneficial for you to become Queen, and I would treat you the best I could whether I loved you or not, but it would not be fair to either of us."

_This is madness_, she thought. _How, how can he talk of love? Are we commoners? Are we not noblemen? Is he a Prince or is he a little boy who has been read too many fairy tales? _

"I would think though," she replied carefully, "that if we did not love each other, we would get along tolerably well regardless."

"Oh, there is no doubt in my mind." He said at once. "We would work well as a married pair I think. But I _yarn_ for love."

"Does your mo—I mean, does her highness know of this?"

"She…" He paused truly looking stumped. "Well, let's just say as far as she knows her son is not interested in love in the least. Maybe even…he thinks he is not capable of it"

"You think…you are not capable of it?" Her heart skipped a beat, for this was the exact way she felt about herself.

His laughter however was like cold water poured down her back. "No, no, I am very capable, I told you, I can feel it in my veins. I only meant, the Queen, she thinks _I_ think I am not capable of it. We do not talk much, you see."

_Apparently_, Sae thought, because it was pretty obvious Prince Sevastian was more than ready to fall in love given the right girl.

"Putting my mother aside, please do think of what I have said. I do not know your views on love and I will not ask them of you unless you are ready to give them, but if you are also looking for it I want you to know I am."

o-o-o

Later in her quarters Sae sat at her writing desk with plans of writing to her family. However, she just sat staring at the paper, thinking over the Prince's words. He was such a kind man with such a warm, happy heart and an innocence about him that made her feel so old. It was then she made her decision.

He was looking for love. She would be the one to give it to him. Though she still believed herself incapable of love, that didn't mean she would be unwilling to accept his love. She would have to make him fall in love with her. If he were to love her, she would do everything she could to make him happy, pretend she loved him back if she had to. That way she could be Queen, she could appease her family, she would have a comfortable, stable future. Of course, there was the possibility that no matter what she did he could not love her. If that were the case, she'd do as he had asked and she would go home, whether she passed all six tasks or not. She'd give him the chance to find it in someone else if he couldn't find it in her. But she wouldn't give up without at least trying first.

Her letter was soon written and she was soon dining with the Queen. As usual Queen Ryona's words were short and few, though they were courteous and satisfied as little pleasantries. That evening she went to bed with the one thought on her mind. _How am I to make him love me? _


	5. Part One: 4

**Part One**

* * *

The next few days made Sae forget all her anxiety over the tasks. Who would worry about future endeavours when the sky was bright and blue, the sun was shining, and her lady's maids were doing all they could to show her the splendours of Fu Naru Palace. For the first time in her life, Sae found herself enjoying the company of fellow women. It was the closest she had ever been to real friendship, even if they were servants. She adored young Phèlie's bright-eyed view of things, like the time they came upon the glistening lake situated near the palace woods. Phèlie ran straight for it, pulling Sae along and declaring it the perfect time for them to cool off and dip their feet into the still glass-like surface. Sae admired Alesia, her beautiful red-haired maid, who seemed to have a witty, sharp mind and a cool head for smoothing over awkward situations. Even Beda, with all her old-fashioned sensibility surprising for a woman still quite young, Sae found herself relating with the most. When Beda scolded Phèlie for being such a child at the sight of the lake, Sae could, perhaps more so than the other two maids, hear the half-heartedness in which Beda spoke, for the servant was also fond of Phèlie in her own fashion.

Those few days of bliss were short and sweet for Sae however. Before she knew it, the day had come when she was to be informed of her next task, though when in the day that would happen was a mystery. She started the day off as usual, breakfasting alone and then off for a morning ride. When she got to the stables the first thing she saw was Condor the stable boy brushing a dark horse's main and Prince Fabian, looking comfortable in loose riding clothes and getting ready to mount the horse. There had been a couple times before when she had caught the younger prince in the stables during the mornings. It seemed that riding was his main form of amusement and Sae couldn't deny he looked more regal, more like his true self, his very best in fact, when he was riding. He rode better than any man she had ever seen, smooth and elegant as if he were part of the horse itself. When his feet were planted on the ground he seemed uncoordinated and fidgety in his princely garb.

Sae approached them offering the custom pleasantries, which were returned to her likewise. Then, without another word, for it seemed to Sae that Fabian was not fond of talking, he was on his horse and commencing with his ride. It didn't take him long to disappear into the distance, and Sae doubted he'd be back for hours. According to the Queen, his mother, he sometimes vanished for almost the whole day riding.

"Ivy's being brushed down as we speak but she should be ready shortly," Condor said with his soft voice, and she followed him to the edge of the stables.

"It seems like a beautiful day for riding." Sae remarked, frowning slightly at the clear sky.

"And yet you say that with a sigh." He laughed lightly. "May I ask why?"

"Today is the day I find out about the next task. Once I am informed I will no longer be able to enjoy this summer weather like I have been doing."

"You did well on the first test." He stated kindly.

"I made two mistakes and probably would have made a third had her highness not called it over when she did."

"But you know," he said after a pause, "it's evitable for anyone to get three wrong, after being asked enough questions. The fact that you held in there for all the ones you were asked, well I call that admirable."

Looking at Condor that moment, Sae couldn't deny there was something about him that made her feel so relaxed, so at ease as if he were someone she had known all her life. His words gave her comfort and she was thankful he had said them.

"You are quite wise." She smiled. "Are you sure you're just a stable boy?"

"Of course I'm not," he grinned, "but I can't tell you that or it would defeat the purpose of my remarkable disguise, don't you think so?"

Sae laughed and one of the stable servants brought out the newly brushed Ivy.

"Well, I suppose I best enjoy the day before it is ruined for me." Sae half-joked.

"In all seriousness though Sae, please do not fret over the tasks. If you are meant to pass you will."

"Ah, so you believe in fate, do you?" She observed as she mounted Ivy.

"I believe that if the future Queen of this country must succeed in these tasks then you will be Queen only if you posses the skills needed for the victory."

"Then that's the question, isn't it? It's really not 'am I meant to be Queen?'. No, it's 'am I capable of passing the tests to become Queen?'"

"Do your best." Condor said, before smacking Ivy's rear.

Without another word exchanged between the two Sae found herself beginning her morning ride.

That afternoon Sae found herself wandering down the many corridors of the palace, avoiding her lady's maids. The truth was all they wanted to do was go out and enjoy themselves but she didn't want to. Not when the news of the next task was looming over her. She knew she was being selfish; their main job was to take care of her, to amuse her during her stay and make sure she was never left alone with nothing to do. Without her around they'd just be assigned back to regular servant duties, something she knew they'd rather evade if they could. However she rather they just go and have fun without having to bring her, she wasn't in the mood. Her palace exploration did not last long however. A quarter of an hour in she met with a particularly handsome, almost hazel brown-eyed man who was walking through the halls as well. This sandy-haired gentleman was quite tall and had a very charming smile, which he bestowed upon her the moment their eyes met.

"Lady Sae, it is a delight to see you again."

"And you as well, Sir Lisario. But please, call me Sae." She said, willing herself not to blush.

"Well _Sae_, I must say after your performance at the first task I desired quite feverishly to congratulate you personally, but alas you disappeared and I have been busy with knight business."

"Nothing to worry over, I hope." She remarked. "We are not going to war or anything, are we?"

He laughed. "I do not think Fu Naru has been at war for the past two centuries or more, milady, you need not worry. No, no, it is peaceful times. I only speak of small matters that keep me busy. Small but tediously time consuming "

"Then it is my pleasure to have caught you free at present." She said politely.

The truth was Sae didn't feel comfortable around someone like him at all. A charmer, that's how she felt about men like Lisario. They were handsome and knew it and used it to their advantage. At least, by the way he was working his smile on her, and by his alluring pleasant tone she felt as though he was purposely trying to sway her feminine side. She'd have to be careful around him, she realized.

"Having met you here within these palace walls I am ever more happy that I am quite unengaged at present. Should you wish to favour me with a stroll outdoors?"

"Actually, I have been avoiding the outdoors today. I'm afraid I'm rather sick of them after so many days enjoying their splendours."

"What's this? Sick of them?" He cried passionately. "But my lady, surely you cannot be serious. To have such glorious weather that will go away as the dry season changes, you must appreciate it while you have the chance. Here, take my arm and I will reacquaint you with what you are missing."

"No, no, I must decline I am afraid. I've…gotten a bit of a headache from too much sun this morning…during my horse ride."

"Oh." And here he looked genuinely disappointed. "Well, if you insist, we could always spend our time now indoors. Do you play an instrument? This palace has got the most delightful instrument room, filled with every noise maker you can imagine."

"Oh, I play…a little. Only the harp though, I'm afraid. It is my younger sister Mealina, who is the real master of music. She plays the piano and sings you see."

"Come then," he said, ignoring her last words. "I must hear you play."

"If you will please put that off until later," came a sudden voice Sae recognized. "I'm sorry to say that Lady Sae has other business to attend to now."

They both turned to see a very harassed looking Gallagher, the head servant, standing before them.

"Other business?" Sir Lisario raised an eyebrow to that, "but I thought—"

"If you will follow me please," Gallagher cut in, as if he had no time for explanations, "you are being summoned to the Royal Advisor's study. It is time for you to become acquainted with your next test."

Sae felt her stomach drop. She had been happy to see Gallagher, any excuse to get away from the attractive knight, but this was not a reason that made her feel the least bit better.

"Yes, well I suppose I must be going." She turned to Lisario with a small smile. "I am sorry Sir, I must be going though."

"Another time then," he said with an air of defeat, though he grinned on.

She turned away and followed the nervy head servant down the corridors as he muttered words about being a very busy man.

"You do know that I am able to find my way to Roderick's study on my own, don't you?" She asked, unable to listen to his mutterings any longer. "I did after all prepare myself for the first task in his study."

"Why didn't you say so earlier?" He demanded. "If that's the case be sure to find the way from here, I must be off. Other pressing matters await me."

Gallagher went off in the opposite direction and Sae continue to make her way to Roderick's study. Really, all the men in this palace confused her. Either they seemed bothered by her very presence, or they were dangerous. After all, she was here trying to become the Crown Prince's wife, so why did the knight think it was okay to be so friendly with her. She must not let herself get off track. Her goal after all was to make Prince Sevastian fall in love with her. It had been a couple of days since she had come to this resolution, and yet she still hadn't figured out how to do it. Since their talk in the ladybug garden she had only seen him once again. One evening he had asked her to spend some time with him in that garden again and they had a light friendly conversation, though it felt very platonic to her. How was she supposed to attract him when she physically wasn't attracted to him herself? She didn't expect any sparks of love, she was incapable of love after all, but still, she had been attracted to men before, like his cousin Sir Lisario.

Roderick sat waiting behind his desk as she opened his door. She sat down across from him and he began.

"It has been dubbed 'the Justice Test'. From the name I am sure you can piece together that this task involves you proving yourself a fair-minded individual. A ruler must always be as just as they can in any situation, whether it be pertaining to the law of the land, or in social or private matters."

"And how will I be tested in this case?"

"The test will be much simpler than the history test. You will be presented with a problem, an everyday village issue, and you must pass your judgement. The decision you come to will decide on whether you pass or fail. You'll have a quarter of an hour to review the situation and make up your mind."

"And how can I prepare for such a thing?" Unlike the history test, there would be no memorization. This relied on practical thinking alone.

"This will involve application Lady Sae. Depending on whom you pick for assistance, they will prepare you in whatever way they seem fit, therefore I can not tell you how you will be prepared."

"And if I were to pick you again?" She asked.

"Then I would prepare you by presenting you with similar issues and situations to the one you will have to face. Should you be able to figure them out, I do not doubt you will pass the second task."

"It's all about application." Sae repeated to herself. "Alright then, I'll designate you as my assistant for this."

"As you wish." He nodded. "If that is the case then, we begin practice tomorrow after your riding. Please come straight to my study after that and I will have something prepared for you."

"Thank you." She said getting up. "Is that all?"

"Yes, that is all. You may now leave."

Just then however Sae was hit with a sudden idea. Sitting back down she cleared her throat and said. "You told me during my first days here that if I had any questions you were the one to go to right?"

"Yes…that is correct." He said, eyeing her curiously.

"Well, I do have something I would like to ask advice on. You are, after all, the Royal Advisor."

He remained silent and waited for her to continue. By now she couldn't look him in the face. Whether it was because his ink blue eyes were turned to her or because she was a little embarrassed about what she was about to ask, she did not know. Was there really a difference though?

"I remember his highness, Prince Sevastian referring to you as his best mate once. This being the case, perhaps you know more about your friend than most people in the palace."

"You could say that I suppose." He said. "We are cousins and we grew up in this palace as close childhood friends, so I do know a thing or two about him."

"Then, has he told you about his wish to find true love?"

Roderick blinked. "I'm sorry?"

"This is what he told me days ago. He does not want to marry just any woman, but he wishes to find true love in the girl who ends up as his Queen. This is why I wanted to ask you Roderick if you could advise me. You, who knows him so well."

"Advise you…how exactly?" It was clear she had caught him quite off guard.

"I have decided that if he is looking for love, then I must make him fall in love with me. If he sees me as his true love, then maybe her highness the Queen won't mind if I fail the tests."

"You are doubting yourself already then?" He said disapprovingly.

"I have already been through one of the tests, I am not ignorant to how hard they are. I will of course continue to try my best, but it is still worth it to see if he can love me. I just need to figure out how to make him love me. Can you advise me on how to accomplish this? What appeals to Prince Sevastian? I suppose I could always try seducing him."

The look of alarm on Roderick's face almost made her laugh.

"I am joking of course." She said at once with a smile. "I am not that kind of woman. Besides, he's not that kind of man either. He wants pure love, and though I am personally not looking for any, I think I should still see if I can get him to love me. It may decide for me if I should be marrying him or not. I do not want to marry a man who _is_ looking for love but cannot find it in me. Then I would feel as if I have taken his one chance away. So Roderick, please, will you help me make him love me, if it's possible?"

Here she willed herself to look at him straight on so he could see her earnestness. He looked back into her pleading eyes and said, "not a chance in hell, milady."

"But aren't you supposed to assist me in whatever it is I need?" She implored.

"There is a limit Lady Sae."

"It's Sae. _Sae_!"

"In any case," He said, ignoring her, "what you are asking is such a personal matter that I would rather not be involved in. If…Prince Sevastian is to fall in love with you, let him do it on his own accord. Forcing love out of him will do no good."

"I am not asking you to help me _force_ love out of him, only to see if there's a chance that he _could_ love me. I could just wait around and let it happen naturally, but by then I may have already failed one of the tests and have been sent home. If I push things along it could prove to help me succeed."

His gaze bore into hers for a long silent moment, one that seemed to go on forever, though Sae was unable to look away. Then, in a quiet low tone Roderick spoke. "You need to focus on preparing for the next task and winning, not on trying to make the Prince fall in love with you. It's pure nonsense, and further more it is unfair to the Prince to scheme about making him fall in love with you when you yourself are determined you will not love him back. What gives you the right to accept and take his love and not give back any in return?"

"Oh, I will make him happy if that is what you mean." She said, trying not to let his words make her feel ashamed. "I may not love him back, but what is the difference if I make sure he thinks he is loved, or if I do everything in my power to make sure he feels loved and he gets the kind of treatment a girl in love with him would give him. What difference would it really make for him?"

"All the difference in the world." Roderick said. "If he is looking for true love then he deserves to be loved by the woman he marries, should he love her back. It is give and take, and that's what makes it true love to begin with."

"This is silly. He is the crowned prince of Fu Naru, he's not going to find true love in the candidates. He'll be lucky if he finds any woman to marry him who can pass these ridiculous tests!"

Then Sae realized with horror what she had said, and how impassioned she had become. This was not her usual behaviour and that made her all the more embarrassed. She didn't know how, but somehow she had gone from being composed to letting slip how ludicrous she thought the Prince was for wanting true love, and even worse, how preposterous she thought these tasks were. And she had let this all slip to the Royal Advisor. She was doomed.

"I…forget I said anything. I am truly sorry…truly sorry to have disturbed you in any way." Completely mortified and feeling her face growing hot, she got up from her seat across from him.

She was already at the door when she heard his voice from behind.

"Perhaps…you are right," he said with an air of dejection. "Perhaps the Prince is a romantic fool and perhaps these tests are over the top and unnecessary, but regardless of that it is not right for you to try and meddle with the Prince's feelings, nor should you be concentrating your attention on that when you have tasks to worry about. Why do you suppose none of the other ladies were successful? Perhaps because they spent more time worrying about the Prince than focusing on beating the tests…do you think so? I do. I think that's exactly what happened with them, and if you don't want to be the seventh lady to follow in their footsteps, perhaps you had better work out in your head the best plan of action you should be taking."

"And maybe Roderick," she said, opening his door, "you should work out in your head why it is you sound so unhappy, because every time I see you I feel as if you are depressed."

She left his study before anything else could be said. He had made her feel remorseful for thinking it was okay to try and make the Prince love her, and maybe that was why she had lashed out on him as she left. The realization of that only made her feel guiltier though. It was time to put these thoughts behind her and focus on the next task, she decided. Her plan of action would be to take Roderick's advice and do everything she could to succeed. She'd worry about Prince Sevastian later.

When Sae entered her quarters perhaps her expression showed more than she was willing to reveal, for when her ladies-in-waiting beheld her they inquired if anything was the matter, and when asked this Sae immediately tensed up and denied all.

"Are you quite sure Sae?" Alesia pressed. "We've been looking for you all day so we thought maybe something might have happened, and just now when you walked in you seemed distressed."

Sae feigned a nonchalant shrug. "I suppose I am not exactly happy to have found out about the next challenge. It only means it is upon me sooner then I would like."

"What, is it that time already?" Phèlie groaned. "And just when we were all having so much fun. But now I suppose you'll have to begin preparation."

"It's an unfortunate truth," Beda began, "but the sooner you begin it the sooner it will be over and you can enjoy another five days of relaxation in the palace."

For the first time that day Sae felt herself smiling. "Beda, you really have faith in me, don't you?"

Beda noticeably stiffened at the unexpected observation, but said just the same, "you passed the first task, and I see no reason that you should fail this one."

"As long as you choose a good person to assist you." Alesia added. "That is, besides us maids because we will help you any way we can regardless."

Sae subconsciously bit her lip. "Well, I thought the sensible thing would be to choose Roderick again."

Of course, that was before they had that awkward argument back in his study.

"It is." Beda nodded favourably. "I believe all the previous girls who chose him for the second task also passed."

"Well, then I might as well pick him every time and be done with it." Sae said incredulously.

"There is some truth in that," Alesia began in an unusually serious voice, "however, at the same time it may be your undoing. You are not the first lady to have come to the conclusion that picking Roderick every time might be the key to victory over the tasks. Princess Drelinda, I cannot remember if she was the fourth or fifth contender, but she adopted the method of choosing Roderick and it did get her further than any other. However, around the time she was getting ready for the fifth task, there was a sort of incident of sorts between her and Roderick. She insisted she still wanted him to help her prepare even though by then it was clear they had grown to detest each other, and though I would never accuse Roderick of not helping the contender he is asked to assist, I do not think it was a coincidence she failed that fifth test."

Catching Sae's raising brow, Phèlie added, "the Princess wasn't worthy of Prince Sevastian anyway, and I didn't like her either. I do like _you_ though Sae, and I'm sure Roderick does as well, and you two are on good terms so you needn't fret."

Good terms however they weren't, as far as she now knew. What on earth was she going to do? Would he refuse to help her, or would he do all in his power to make sure she lost? She cursed herself for ever saying anything to him about love and Prince Sevastian.

"Are you sure you are well Sae? You do look slightly pale." Alesia said worriedly.

"I am fine, I assure you. Though I know you all wanted to go out today. So how about we forget all about the task for now and go enjoy the outdoors?"

Anything, anything to take her mind off the horrible realization that she may fail this next test.

The maids didn't need telling twice.

"Let's go."

Sae did not know what she was supposed to do after coming back from her horse ride the following morning. The Royal Advisor had told her to report to his office where she would begin her training, but that was before…

A little desperate in wanting someone else's opinion but finding she couldn't bring herself to open up to her ladies-maids, she instead asked Condor for his opinion just as she had finished her ride that morning. Perhaps it was because of his friendly, calm manner and his soft voice, or perhaps because it was leading up to the moment in which she'd have to decide whether to go or not and her anxiety over it had reached its point, nonetheless, she had asked him as he helped her dismount.

"Now I must go to the Royal Advisor's study so he can prepare me for my next task." She began casually enough.

"Oh," he answered simply, gripping Ivy's harness as he helped Sae down.

"I am a little apprehensive about it though."

"And why is that?" He sounded genuinely curious.

"Well you see. The Royal Advisor…Roderick, and I had a bit of an argument yesterday."

Condor looked at her for a moment, his brow furrowing. "And why…is that?"

"I'm not even sure, to be honest. I was asking him for advice of a personal matter, and he seemed to get upset about it. I'm afraid I got defensive and may have said something to offend him before I left."

"Upset really? Roderick?" He said incredulously.

"I know, it seems odd doesn't it? From what I know of the man, he does seem very dull indeed, not someone to give way to any passions. And yet, he was upset."

"Well," here Condor took his time as if choosing his words carefully. "I'm going to confess to you Sae, that I really think it would be in your best interest to stay on his good side. I have not known you for too long, but I do rather think well of you and I would hate to see you go so early. Roderick has…a lot of say in what happens, you'd be surprised. So please, for your own sake, go today to see him anyway and try to make amends."

"If he hates me I do not think it will make a difference though. He may have decided to do all in his power to make me lose, and then I'll never marry his highness Prince Sevastian."

"I know Roderick a little better then you do Sae, and I can tell you now that he is more careful then you are giving him credit for, in bestowing his dislike upon someone. In fact, I doubt there is anyone I can name who he dislikes. He is not a man to form enemies, as quiet and secluded as he is, he really does just keep to himself. You would have to do worse I think for him to be set against you, then get into an argument with him. Go to his study as he asked you, and I am sure you won't be sorry for it."

Sae was relieved to find that in taking Condor's advice he was right. When she entered the Royal Advisor's study it was clear that he had been waiting for her. It was also clear, from the way he gestured for her to sit down and then began discussing the task, he was dead set on being all business and the chance of him mentioning the incident of the day before was not very likely. Only, as he addressed the ways in which they would prepare Sae could not shake the horrible sneaking suspicion that regardless of what Condor said, Roderick could now be working against her by purposely preparing her inadequately.

"I think it best," he mentioned, "we approach this from an angle you will be most comfortable with. Therefore, I want to begin this by reminding you of a parable you'll recognize. King Solomon is what I want you to think of, when you think of tricky situations of justice."

"King who?"

"King Solomon. Surely you've heard of…?" But he broke off at the sight of the clueless expression on her face.

"I thought every child was told the stories of King Solomon. I believe it to be common knowledge." He said wryly.

"Yes well, I wasn't brought up with such stories of kings."

"Then I suppose I will have to tell it to you now. King Solomon was known for his wisdom far and wide, and there are many parables which have passed down through time of his superior good judgment. The parable I am going to tell you is one that he is most famous for. Skipping over poetic, ancient versus to which many people choose to recite, I will simplify it so that there will be no mistake in its meaning Lady Sae."

He cleared his throat as if anticipating a long speech.

"The parable beings are so; two harlots come to stand before the king with a predicament. The first woman begins by telling King Solomon that she and the other woman dwell in the same house, she had given birth several days ago, and the other woman three days after her. There were no other people in the house during that period of time. She them claimed that the other woman's child died in the night and so at midnight the woman came into her room while she slept, and switched the dead son for her living, sleeping one. She awoke the next morning with the dead boy laid upon her bosom, but she knew upon consideration that this baby was not her son.

"Then the other woman spoke. She claimed that the boy in her arms was her living son, and the dead one belonged not to her. Both women began to argue before the king, and in his judgment he ordered for a sword to be brought forward. When the sword was brought forward he told the women that each should receive half of the baby. Then the woman who feared for her child told King Solomon to please give the other woman the baby instead of slaying it, and the other woman said it had better be split in two so neither could have it. In his wisdom King Solomon then said, give the woman who fears for her baby the child, for she is the true mother. And that, is the parable of King Solomon I want you to think on."

Sae was quiet for a moment thinking over the story, then she said, "it was wise of him to figure out who was the mother, though I think in our time and day the other woman would have sense enough to pretend to care about the baby's welfare. I do not think it would work out so well should that problem be brought up again."

"Perhaps you are overestimating the common folk Lady Sae. As a noblewoman you are educated to some degree and so such vulgar sense as the other woman showed may seem idle and foolish to you, but if you suppose the uneducated of this land are any wiser than the harlots of the parable then that only demonstrates your ignorance of the country's villagers."

Sae couldn't help but blush in mortification. "It is true I do not converse with the commoners though I did not think that would be held against me being a lady of noble birth."

Roderick shook his head. "I did not mean any mode of attack when I said that. I was simply pointing out that education in this land, as well as all others, is essential to superior understanding. It is true, there are those who are wise that are perhaps untaught, because experience itself nourishes wisdom more than anything else, but true perceptive and clear understanding is best developed when one has been educated with the world, and a lady like yourself is much more likely to have such education then a common milk maid. Therefore, it is possible that though this parable seems obvious to you, it may be above comprehension for a commoner as to how Solomon arrived at the conclusions to use such a method as he did."

It was clear to Sae that the Royal Advisor had a superior awareness of the subjects of Fu Naru compared with herself. It was not usual however, for noblemen to associate with the villagers, so why should she know any better? Even with this argument in her defence she still could not shake off the embarrassment for her display of ignorance.

"Now, with King Solomon as your model of wisdom, shall we begin with preparation?"

Thus began Sae's next few days of anticipation for the second task.


	6. Part One: 5

**Part One**

* * *

"Now, here is a riddle for you Lady Sae. Are you ready for this one?"

For the past four days Sae had been training her mind to think in careful steps. Roderick has taught her to observe and measure every decision she made, and to be thoughtful of her reasoning before she did anything. It had been slow going for her at first. His little tests were cryptic enough for her that she was always hesitant to give any answer lest she be wrong, and in the beginning she very often was. She was learning that everything was not black and white, and that her decision always carried a consequence. Therefore, she had to pass judgement that would result in the best, or in some cases the less terrible, consequence. Every evening when she was not with Roderick preparing she would be in her apartments, where her lady's maids would pull from their memories any riddles or parables they remembered from their childhood, and discuss them together for her benefit. Now, as she sat across from the Royal Advisor's desk, with one day more to prepare before the second task, she nodded her head in consent so that he could proceed in his latest little brain teaser. Lately she had been showing promising improvement.

"There is a rare human defect," he began, "in which twins born are joined together by a sharing limb. In the case I am speaking of, two men shared an arm together; one man's right arm, the other's left arm, conjoined from the their elbows down. It is usual in such cases as these that one twin is superior in strength to the other. The strong one happened to be a renegade of his kingdom. He was a thief and a known killer. His weaker twin was sickly but had a pure heart and mind. At every turn he tried to stop his brother, did everything in his power to prevent him from breaking any law, though he could hardly manage it being the weaker one. In most cases his brother would resort to knocking him out cold, so the innocent twin would be dragged along unconscious, or conscious but against his own will."

"What a horrible circumstance for that poor man!"

"Indeed it was. Now, Lady Sae, you are the Queen of their country, and they have been captured and brought before you. What are you to do? You have two choices; you may bring the guilty twin to justice by locking them away, and he will take his punishment. This will also prevent him from continuing his thievery. Your alternative is to let them go, and by doing so the innocent twin will receive his justice as a free man. So, whom will you be serving justice to, the good twin or the bad twin?"

For a moment Sae felt that familiar panic creep up inside her as she realized she was stumped. Either way she'd be giving justice to one and doing an injustice to the other, so how could this be resolved? She remembered her thoughts about consequences, and took that into consideration. Even that did not help her much however. On one hand if she were to let them go free her country might be in further danger of being terrorized by the thief. That was not a pleasing consequence. On the other hand, if she were to lock them away would that not set a bad mark against her for locking away a free man, and would not her other innocent subjects be in fear that the same may happen to them? It was not a good way to settle matters in the kingdom.

"Is there not a third alternative?" She asked some minutes later.

Roderick who had left her to her own thoughts and was looking over some paperwork did not stop writing or break his focus as he murmured, "There is only the one way or the other."

"Then," she said, as if determined to argue it out aloud, "It all depends really on what in the end matters more. I realize that either way the consequence won't be pleasing. Therefore I must draw upon what principle should be upheld; to punish the guilty, or to protect the innocent."

Here Roderick did put down his quill and regard her curiously. Taking this as sufficient encouragement that she was on the right track, she continued saying to herself. "I suppose there would be those who would disagree and be upset with my decision, but true justice does not depend on the persuasion of others, but rather a ruler must be unbiased and endeavour to use clear thinking as much as she can."

"And in using such tactics, have you come to any sort of conclusion?" Roderick pressed with unexpected optimism in his words.

He made her now nervous of disappointing him, but she told him what in her heart she felt was most just. "As a ruler I would have to release them. I would rather see a guilty man walk free than an innocent one suffer. I believe in the principle of protecting our subjects' rights before punishing the wrong doers. Of course, a consequence out of this is that they may not be as safe because I am letting the guilty one go and he may in turn harm them. Still, I cannot hold with putting chains on a good man."

"That Lady Sae, is what our criminal system of justice was founded on. Our first and foremost priority is to protect the rights of every subject. Taking away a free man's rights would set a bad precedent for the country, and who knows how that could be abused, should future rulers of Fu Naru become corrupt. Rights are what keep the authorities, the rulers in place so we don't abuse our power, and therefore I think you are wise in your choice. The short-term consequence is that the man may do more wrong, but the long-term consequence is that you have saved your loyal subjects from having their rights infringed upon, and that is what is most important."

His words both encouraged and frightened her. She was glad she had picked the right answer, but distraught because he had added so much to it that she hadn't thought of herself. Her mind had simply made the connection that there were two principles and she must decide which was more important. He had considered the actual framework of justice, and the long versus short-term effects such decisions would have. She felt no more prepared for tomorrow, and yet Roderick still said;

"I think you will be ready. I could give you another situation or two to think on, but you will in all likelihood pass tomorrow's task."

She couldn't help but be flattered that he had more faith in her ability then she did, especially seeing as this was the cold, serious Roderick who seemed to have so little faith in anyone. There was no denying he was warming up to her, but she supposed after being around him long enough it was inevitable they would get used to each other. Suffice it to say, she no longer was suspicious of him purposely setting her up for a fall, as the others had suspected he had done with the Princess Drelinda. So, either he had never done such a thing in the first place or…or he didn't dislike Sae, despite that awkward argument they had had days ago. Condor might have been right when he told her that the Royal Advisor took more care then she was allowing him in forming a loathing towards anyone. She'd have to remember to thank the stable boy for his advice, she reminded herself, as she left Roderick's study that evening.

The following morning Sae was not surprised to find herself feeling slightly ill and very anxious. The test would take place at noon like the first one, and she had the morning to compose herself for it. Under Mayah's guidance none of the ladies-in-waiting were to bombard Sae with any more riddles, for if she was ready she would do fine and if she were not it wouldn't help for them to further make her nervous. Their job for that morning was to try and take her mind away from the looming task and help her relax. Mayah herself had come to visit Sae in her room when she heard the dear girl was not fairing so well.

"I have brought you some nourishment," she said with a kind smile, placing a tray of varied modest breakfast foods before Sae. "I was informed that you haven't eaten yet, and I understand dear you may think you cannot, but I urge you to do anyway. A mind is sharper on a full stomach. I have only brought light foods as it is, so you should be able to stomach them. I find tea and toast is the best in these instances."

Sae repositioned herself on the chaise longue and agreed to a bit of tea and if she could tolerate it, some toast.

As Mayah went about and mothered her, her lady's maids took turns assuring her she'd be fine, and getting her ready for the day.

"Should I leave your riding clothes out Sae?" Alesia asked, going through her armoire.

"No, I don't have nerves for riding today I'm afraid." Sae admitted, adding to herself, _I don't think I have the nerves for even getting out of my private quarters._

"You must relax yourself Sae, you were not this worked up during the first task."

Sae fought back a snort of indignation. "That is because back then I was not aware of how nightmarish these tasks are to go through."

"You did get through it last time though." Phèlie pointed out positively.

"It came very close though." Sae frowned at the thought.

"Do not talk yourself into defeat Sae or it is of little matter if you go or not, you will lose regardless with that attitude." Beda said.

It was Beda's words alone that gave Sae comfort. "You are right. If I am thinking I will fail, then I will fail even if I try. I must go in thinking I will do my best, and that is all anyone can ask of me."_ Including my father_, she thought to herself.

"Now with that way of looking at it I am sure you will claim another victory," Mayah said, "now eat up."

This time, as Sae walked into the throne room at the appropriate time, she was not surprised to see it filled to the brim with spectators. She wondered vaguely how the six other ladies before her put up with this, but she supposed it was part of the price she had to pay for being allowed the chance to win the position of Queen of Fu Naru, not to mention winning Prince Sevastian as her husband. How many girls would give anything for the chance to marry a Prince? The majority of the girls in the kingdom, she was willing to bet. Her sister wouldn't for just any prince, but she had a feeling that for a prince as handsome and agreeable as Sevastian, Mealina as well as every single girl in the kingdom would take this chance, this one chance that she now carried in her hands. And if every girl in the kingdom wanted this kind of a chance, who was she to not want it? Her father was counting on her, and though Lady Kiva, like Mealina, had urged her not to marry without affection, she didn't doubt her stepmother was sensible to how much of an excellent match this would be for her stepdaughter. It would be lunacy for her not to try her best.

Queen Ryona sat still as a statue on her throne with her fan before her face. Her sons sat on either side of her and they looked expectantly at Sae as she made her way to the centre of the crowded room. A hushed silence fell upon the audience as the Queen stood from her throne and ushered for Sae to step forward.

"Come, my child. You are to sit on my throne for the next few minutes and play the part of Queen. Do your best."

The Queen moved aside and Sae could hardly believe it, but she was both allowed and guided to sit on the throne. Once seated, the Queen herself took the King's seat, the highest one, which had been empty for several months, and waved her hand in the air to indicate the task had begun. Seated in between the Queen and the younger prince Fabian, who surprisingly gave her an encouraging nod, Sae became a jumble of nerves. She looked past the Queen to see Sevastian was also looking at her with real optimism in his features, and she felt relieved to know that at least at the moment, he was hoping for her to pass on to the next task.

Sae looked forward and noticed that two guards came before them then. Behind the guards she made out what looked like a group of common village folk. The guards moved out of the way and she could now clearly take in the sight of what looked like a young couple standing close together as if frightened by their current surroundings and a third, much older man holding onto a red feathered chicken in his arms.

The first thought that came to Sae's mind was that the Queen had gone to quite some trouble in hiring actors to make this problem look so real. She had been expecting Roderick to come out any moment and tell her of a situation and then ask her to pass judgement, as they had practiced in his study. She had not expected people to act out an issue for her sake, but she supposed this way it would be all the more realistic, and that must have been what the Queen was going for.

Then she realized with a stomach-twisting feeling that the Queen was looking at her pointedly as if waiting for her to proceed. Sae was on the Queen's throne. Sae was expected to act in every way the Queen at the moment.

Clearing her throat, Sae hoped she had understood right in what she thought she had to do. "Please, step forward and explain to me your predicament."

The three people all stepped forward. The older man looked to the young couple as if he rather they get their story out first so that he could have the final say. The young couple took the hint.

"Your ladyship," the young man began, "I am but a humble farmer and this is my wife. We have been independent for less than a year and are very poor. There have been so many problems on the farm that we have hardly had time to tend to everything that has happened. Many of our cows died from contaminated water from their water hole, we cannot afford any horses and our sheep for some reason are not mating and producing more sheep. We have been making most of our earnings on our chickens' eggs, though last month after a terrible storm some of the fence, which kept them in, was broken and three chickens escaped."

Sae could not help but be affected by what she was hearing. She was beginning to realize that the sheltered, fortunate life she had had kept her ignorant of such troubles the commoners of Fu Naru faced with in their lives. As they stood there trembling and telling her of their poverty, she could not help but commend them on their acting skills. If she had not known they were actors, she would have been sure they were an actual young farming couple.

"We did not notice at the time because we were dealing with the mystery of our dying cows. However, t'was not but a few days ago that we finally stumbled upon this new problem. Three of our chickens, having left our farm, migrated over to our neighbour's property. We met with him and asked for our chickens back, but he is refusing to hand them over."

Sae turned her eyes from the young couple to the middle-aged man with the chicken under his arm. "They are now rightfully mine. I know Fu Naru's law. It is regulation that should one's livestock find its way onto another man's property, then said owners of the livestock have a month to reclaim their property. And should the month pass and they do not claim it, it immediately becomes the property of the owner of the land the livestock has migrated to. They did not come to me until well over forty days later, your ladyship, and as the law decrees, the birds are all mine."

"But under our circumstances we were too busy to deal with that problem until we settled the matter with our cows." The farmer's wife implored. "Please your ladyship, we only have nine chickens to begin with. If he should keep three of them we will be in complete ruin. We do not even own a rooster, we cannot produce more chickens from the ones we have now; they only make eggs for selling."

Sae looked back and forth in complete wonder of the situation. It was not helping her that they all seemed too real in their plight for her justice. She had to remind herself that it wasn't real, that there would be no consequences for her decision; it was only a mock issue. That would help her focus on what was most important, passing this test. Here she began to regard the situation in her head and thought over the meaning of justice. The ironic thought passed through her mind that she could not simply split the chickens in two. She must uphold the law, she realized, and whether she liked it or not the law was in favour of the man who now rightfully owned the chickens. There were no loopholes made for people who did not have time or who were not aware that their livestock had escaped. To be just she must side with the man, and besides, this wasn't a real situation, so why should she feel so bad for the non-existent young couple?

"I must go in accordance with the law that was made in order to bring justice to this country." Sae said. "Therefore, as a Queen I would rule that this gentlemen is entitled to keep his three chickens. However, justice can be laced with mercy, and for the sake of a poor young couple I would donate to them three chickens, and a rooster, from the palace's livestock, so that they will not be ruined."

All three commoners looked up at her blankly, as if wondering if the latter part of what she said would be taken seriously seeing as she had no control over the palace livestock.

The Queen stood up from her seat and said, "Alright, the second task is now complete. I ask everyone to keep their voices down, as I will now contemplate as to whether Lady Sae's decision warrants her a pass onto the third task or not."

The Queen walked immediately to where the Royal Advisor was seated not far off, as if to ask from him his opinion on the matter. Sae looked away, determined not to let herself grow anxious, though second by second she was doing just that. To take her mind off of it she turned to the subjects before her and said, "You were all quite good actors. I very nearly got taken away by your story."

All three farmers looked at her questioningly, and the farmer's wife was the first to say, "we are not actors milady."

Then Sae felt very, very sick. "What? You mean…that was real?"

"Of course it was." The middle-aged farmer said as if he thought her very ridiculous at the moment.

"But, I thought…then, that means…"

"That means your ladyship, that you have answered our problem." The younger farmer cleared for her. "Though, I suppose since you are not really the Queen you can not authorize the giving of chickens to us, now can you?"

No, she couldn't. That meant the young couple would walk away with nothing. The thought alone was unbearable. She had done this to them, whether it was the just thing to do or not, it was not merciful at all.

"Please, will you tell me what region of the country you live in?" She asked, desperate to help them any way she could.

She got the answer to her hopes when they informed her they were all from the west region.

"But my father is Count Arland of the west region." And of course they knew of him, for there were only three counts of the west and Arland in particular lived close to their area.

"Then in that case, we are all sort of like neighbours, aren't we?" Sae exclaimed, cheering up at the thought and quite managing to forget she was still waiting for judgment for the second task. Finding out the situation was real now made it more important to her. "If that is the case, I will write to my father and ask him to help you out however he can. You may have three of _our_ chickens and a rooster, and some of our cows too if it will help, we have many to spare. My father is so fond of good neighbours that once I tell him of you and your situation I am sure he'll even invite you to dine at my manor."

The young couple looked completely struck by her words as if she were speaking another language. It was not so common in Fu Naru for the nobility to associate with the common folk, but she knew her father to be a man who looked upon any respectable family as a good one, farmers or aristocrats. Providing she write to him she was sure he would not hesitate in helping them out.

"Your ladyship is very kind," said the farmer after he realized just what she was saying, "but we could never ask for charity from you."

"And who says I am offering you charity?" Sae answered, "you are a neighbour, and the very definition of a good neighbour is that they help the other out in times of need. You see I am being quite selfish in offering you assistance from my father. I will not be happy until I can earn the title of a good neighbour, so you must let me have it."

The farmer and his wife couldn't help but smile at her words. "If you insist milady."

"I do. I shall write to my father this very afternoon. Please just give me your names and he will be in contact with you. I should like to know each of you better as well, when I am…_if_ I am back at home soon."

They bowed to her despite her not being royalty and turned to leave. The older farmer had left earlier as she had said nothing else to him and he did not see a reason for sticking around, having claimed his new prizes. As the young couple left she suddenly remembered she was still waiting for a verdict and scanned the room for the Queen. She did not need to scan long. The Queen, Roderick, even Prince Sevastian were all standing together and looking at her as if they had been watching her for some time.

Then she realized they had. "You were just listening then, weren't you?"

"Yes." The Queen and Roderick answered.

Prince Sevastian merely looked as if he was proud enough to burst.

"I must say Sae that it was a display I was very happy to see." Queen Ryona said. "It is the job of a ruler to put forth justice every time, even when we are sympathetic to someone's plight, justice must always be one's first object. However, justice if it can be, should be served with mercy, especially for the deserving."

"I am relived to hear you say so your highness," Sae confessed, "I was worried I may appear either too yielding or too merciless."

"There have been many tormentors in history," Roderick said, "but do not let your mind confuse that with justice. The ability to be both kind and just, to employ real kindness in one's just decisions, is the marking of a great ruler."

Though Roderick was known to be around Prince Sevastian's age and he certainly looked young enough to be, Sae could not help but wonder at some of the things he said, as if he had lived for much longer and seen a lot more of the world then she knew was possible for someone so young. Then again, she supposed that was what made him the Royal Advisor. In comparison, his cousin the Prince had no wise words for Sae, but his eyes spoke enough of his congratulations and of his being impressed with her. His grin was infectious and he asked her if she would like to take a walk in the gardens later. Sae could not help but blush at his asking her in front of his mother and Roderick; times before he had usually just asked her when he caught her by herself, but she supposed there was nothing improper in having them see the Prince take an interest in her. Wasn't this what she was here for, after all?

Back in her quarters that afternoon, once she was able to escape the throne room, she wrote her letter to her father asking him to meet with the young couple and do what he could for them. Not out of pity, for they were not looking for pity, but to do what any good neighbour would do and if possible begin an acquaintance with them.

When she called for the servant who dealt with post matters she found that he had just received letters from home for her, and so she detoured giving him her letter and told him she would call back in a few hours once she wrote responses for the new letters as well. She had received two; one from Mealina and one from Lady Kiva.

Like everything about Mealina, her letter was also dear to Sae. Though her younger sister wrote always on a serious note, Sae always found herself laughing at the things she said, and though she felt guilty for laughing at her sister's words of advice, she still treasured the fact that though there were not many things in the world that could make her laugh, Mealina was one of them. Sae was dutiful in writing a very detailed description of the "handsome prince" and assured her concerned sister that he was everything charming and quite a good man. Maybe Sae at present felt no particular attraction to him other than that of friendship, but then Mealina must understand that she had a disposition in which she was incapable of romantic love.

Lady Kiva's letter contained advice Sae took more seriously. "_Though you know how I've felt about this from the beginning,"_ she stated somewhere in the middle of the letter, "_if you are determined to have this Prince for your husband then you must be smart about it. Focus first on passing all these tasks, for that is your best chance of getting him. At the same time however, if you can somehow bring him to fall in love with you, then I think even if you lose he may fight to keep you. So Sae, try to win and make sure you encourage his highness on as you do, though remember to be the lady you were brought up to be, I scarily need tell you that though, still I feel I should say it as a mother anyway. The Queen will be watching you very carefully, you can be sure of that. Do your best and remember, no one back at home will think any different should you not succeed or should you resign yourself. There are plenty of handsome men in the gentry of this country for a pretty girl like yourself."_

Then she went on to tell Sae of the happenings at home and of her father missing her as well as she did. Sae wrote back that she had come to the same scheme herself of trying to procure the Prince's heart, and that she was happy her stepmother was thinking on the same lines. She was glad to hear the twins were maturing and her father was in good health. She also dropped in a line about the young farm couple and asked her Lady Kiva to do what she could for them as well.

Later that evening as Sae walked with Prince Sevastian in the gardens he told her of his waiting for her at the stables that morning and his disappointment when she did not come for her morning ride.

"Condor had told me that you ride every morning you see, and sometimes my brother has seen you so he confirmed it." Sevastian said happily. "So I thought I could start riding with you, if you do not mind it."

"I would like nothing more your highness." Sae said earnestly. "The truth is I did not go this morning for I was feeling quite ill about the task. Now that I have five days of relaxation ahead of me I should love to meet you in the mornings for a ride."

And so it was decided upon that they would go for morning rides together and Sae smiled at her own luck that he should suggest such a thing. She had never tried it before and she certainly wasn't sure how to go about it, but now she would do all in her power to attempt to make him love her if she could.


	7. Part One: 6

**Part One**

* * *

Sae could not have hoped for a better excuse in spending more time with the Prince than his suggestion of taking morning rides together. She had asked Condor one morning, before the Prince had shown up, if it was something his majesty had done with any of the previous ladies.

"No," he replied with that soft voice of his. "I can't say that I remember him ever making plans to ride with any of the other ladies. Perhaps, Sae, he is taking to you better than he did to them."

His words had given her hope, and she couldn't let such an opportunity slide. Gloom accompanied this hope however: though they were spending so much time together she could not bring herself to be the least attracted to him. From her first day at the palace she had been telling herself that she couldn't possibly fall for him, so why should it bother her that this had turned out true? Could it be that perhaps deep down she had been hoping she was wrong, and that Lady Kiva's words to her before she left were right? Could she secretly be hoping she would fall in love with the prince? What a contrary feeling it was for her to be so sure that she would never love, and yet hope to be proven wrong, only to find out she was right about herself. She rode with him every day for the next few days, assumed evening walks with him and took care to observe all the things appealing about him, and yet…she felt nothing. He was the prince charming from Mealina's silly fairytales in every way. Wasn't any and every woman supposed to fall for such a prince? One thing was sure; if she could not bring her heart to flutter for this man, she doubted there was anyone else on earth for whom it would beat strongly. There was no man more perfect than his highness; therefore if she could not love him, she really was incapable of romantic love. She had known this all along and yet she still felt empty and miserable at the realization.

One night, desperate to know if she was mad or not, she did something she had never done before and opened up to girls her own age. Her lady's maids were helping her prepare for slumber when she asked them if they would lend her their ears and their minds. Right in the middle of her account Mayah came in to bid Sae goodnight and was invited to hear of her dilemma as well. By the end of it the maids were looking at each other, unsure of what to say, but Phèlie alone looked assuredly at Sae and spoke her opinion without much thought to her words.

"So you are not attracted to him, so what? It is alright Sae because you don't have to marry that man."

Phèlie was right of course, she did not have to marry him. Lady Kiva had said that back at home they would not hold it against her should she resign. Still, she knew her father wished it of her, and she herself was sensible to how great an opportunity this was for her, too great to drop out.

Alesia was shaking her head at Phèlie. "Sae is here for the very reason of marrying him, who else would she marry here?"

It was a question Sae pondered the next day, as she walked from the dining room back to her personal rooms to get ready for her evening with Sevastian. On a couple of occasions he had joined his mother the Queen and herself in the dining room for an evening meal but that day was not one of them. According to her majesty, Sevastian was rarely at home during the day. Most mornings and some evenings yes, but during the day he always seemed to disappear off to somewhere and she knew not what to make of it. Rather than worry she decided to allow him his independence and think nothing more of it.

Walking back to her quarters it was then that Sae unexpectedly met with Sir Lisario. He bestowed his best smile for her as he held out his hand to accept hers and kissed it, saying, "Sae, I have wanted to see you for quite some time now. You were exceptional during the second task."

The way he looked at her after kissing her hand made her blush. She cursed both herself and him for it, but added in a calm voice, "Why thank you Sir. It doesn't seem long however until the next test; tomorrow will be the day when I am informed of task three, and I am dreading it."

Sae noticed the funny way his eyes lit up at her words. "Do not fear this task Sae, for I will tell you now that it is my personal favourite one. I cannot say anymore, lest I get in trouble for dropping any hints, but let's just say it is a task which I really enjoy and I think you may too."

Then he strolled away whistling to himself and she was left to wonder what he could possibly mean. One thing left no doubt in her mind however: Sir Lisario was even more handsome than Prince Sevastian and Sae couldn't help but notice.

To say that Sae was feeling apprehensive the next morning would be putting it lightly. She barely knew how the days had flown by, spending half her time being entertained by her maids and further exploring the wonders of the palace; the amazing art gallery featuring centuries of some of the best talent the country bred, an enchanting conservatory of plants and birds, an airy library with books stacked to the ceiling and squishy armchairs to settle into for a cozy hour or two, even a music and game room where she scarily needed anyone around to entertain her. The other half of her time was spent with Prince Sevastian, attempting to be as agreeable as possible before his glinting green eyes.

That morning as she met with him for her ride, a certain event took place which caused her to think all her efforts towards him had not gone unnoticed. The fact that the prince so regularly went riding with her, a circumstance Condor repeatedly assured Sae had not occurred with the other ladies, had given her some hope, and that morning she was given even more.

Though Condor, as a stable boy, regularly assisted Sae in mounting her horse, as of late Sevastian had stepped in to help her himself. That particular morning after a long ride, when Sae went to dismount the Prince helped her down. He took hold of her hand with one of his and placed his other around her waist to set her gently down, and after doing so he did not let go, but held her still for a moment. He looked down at her, not quite in his usual smiling manner, but rather in earnest contemplation as if he were trying to decide something about her in that moment. Never being held still by a man as such she felt her face growing hot in discomfiture and could not meet his eyes.

"Right," Prince Sevastian said, letting go of her and the moment was gone. "Well, I must be off now. I have pressing business to attend to, but I hope to see you for riding tomorrow morning Sae."

"Yes your highness." She allowed herself to breathe then, and he was off, handing his horse's reigns to Condor.

"I must go and catch my carriage. It is waiting for me at the palace entrance by now, I am sure. I am afraid I may be prevented from taking a stroll with you this evening Sae, but please wait for me tomorrow for I should wish to hear your opinion on the third task."

He went off then and Sae was left to wonder what the third task could possibly be. Instead of just dreading the tasks as she usually did her emotions were now laced with curiosity, for both the Prince and his cousin Sir Lisario had made specific references to this task, as if it were something she might enjoy. Not knowing what they meant was beginning to influence her feelings more than the initial fretfulness of finding out.

"And how was Ivy today?" Condor asked, breaking her train of thought.

"She was a dream as usual, the tamest mare I've ever ridden, and that's saying a lot for her age, considering I have quite an old, well-bred mare back at home."

"Yes, Ivy is the gentlest mare her age to have graced the palace's stables, of that I am sure."

Condor began to unsaddle Ivy, loosening the belt around her belly.

"So," he commented casually enough, "I take it things with his highness are going as planned?"

And that was what Sae really liked about Condor. Whereas a certain sour Royal Advisor refused to give her any advice concerning Prince Sevastian, Condor was always an open ear and he would give her his opinion should she ask him for it.

"I can't say for sure but I think they are." She acknowledged gladly. "He certainly is an attentive gentleman, and sometimes as of late I have caught this look in his eye, different from his cheerful visage, as if he were seriously thinking something over."

"Ah," Condor said. "Well, he does have his deep side, though he is particularly good at hiding it. I will tell you that down to the core he really is a sophisticated, mindful man, however much his pleasant demeanour may give the appearance of his having a head full of air."

"Yes, well I won't deny when I first met with him I was a little unnerved by his carefree disposition, but I think I see what you mean Condor; he certainly does have a serious side hidden in there, underneath that trademark smile of his."

"A serious side, and a very sharp mind to go along with it, Sae. Be cautious, for he is better at reading people then you would think. He may very well know what you are up to, I should warn you."

"No, that is impossible I am sure." She said firmly, as if the idea was ludicrous.

"Just as you please Sae. If you wish to lure the prince in I think he has a right to know what you are on about."

Sae restrained herself from rolling her eyes. "You are beginning to sound like Roderick."

Condor smiled with that gentle expression of his and added in soft tones, "well Roderick is not the Royal Advisor for nothing milady."

"Which reminds me, I am to find out what the third task is soon. I admit his highness has made me wonder with his comment as to what is in store for me."

Condor feigned a shrug and replied, "I am sure whatever it is it must be pleasant to ladies in general or else he wouldn't be asking your opinion on the matter."

Her eyes narrowed at his words. "Condor you sneak, you know what it is too, stop pretending you don't. I am very much aware that everyone in this palace knows more than me and you are all keeping quite the number of secrets from my inquisitive ears; you need not patronize me."

Condor only laughed. "You milady can not even begin to imagine the number of secrets and the significance of said secrets being kept from you."

"If I were not a lady I think I would smack your arm as I do to my younger brothers when they are being nuisances."

"And if I were not your humble stable servant I think I should laugh at whatever weak attempt you hit me with, for I've seen you on a horse and I know you are not that strong."

This time Sae did roll her eyes. "Fine, I can see you are not going to tell me anything. I'll see you tomorrow then Condor."

"Farewell your ladyship." He grinned and waved to her as she left the stables, adding in thought, _"a great many secrets indeed, and yet I could not tell you one. Still, there may be a time in the future when you will be able to hit me like you do your brothers and not think it improper. We shall see Sae_."

o-o-o

It was not yet noon and Sae found herself being accosted by Gallagher the nervy head servant in the corridors of the palace.

"What are you doing roaming around pointlessly for?" He said the moment he spotted her, stopping her in her tracks. "I have been to your quarters and back in search for you, and for your own benefit too I might add."

"I am sorry for your trouble," Sae said courteously, "may I enquire as to the object behind it?"

"What else could it be but that I am to inform you to go and see his Royal Advisor? You know the way to his study, do no make him wait."

And with a huff the Head Servant was gone, leaving Sae to make her way across the palace half-eagerly for what was to come.

Just as she had expected to find him, Roderick was sitting behind his desk with his papers out. She wondered what he would look like sitting behind a cleared desk, or better yet sitting on a couch in one of the sitting rooms with no paperwork surrounding him. As she sat down the vague thought crossed her mind that she had never seen him at leisure and she wondered if he ever did take time just to relax. Could a human being last without taking time off their duties now and then, even the most dedicated of ones?

"Your third task," he began, "is a social conduct test. It is important that a Queen is refined and thus has an approving appearance throughout her land. To put it bluntly, the people will not trust a ruler who is anti-social. When it comes to ruling a country certainly it matters what you know, but it must not be underestimated the value of _whom _you know. Being a Queen means you will be expected to attend various social events throughout the year, and you will represent the country and the governing monarchy with every action you carry out. If you can not bring yourself to cope with such public attention then you are not qualified to be Queen."

"So it is a test on my social skills, but what exactly will this test involve?"

"A social event of high magnitude. In other words, a ball Lady Sae."

"It's _Sae_." She corrected, and then couldn't help but gawk at him. "Pardon me? Did you say…_a ball_?"

He looked at her a moment as if he didn't know what to make of her and then cleared his throat. "That is exactly what I said. A ball is the perfect setting for you to impress the Queen with your etiquette skills and present yourself as royalty refined to the nobility present."

"And why would Sir Lisario think I would enjoy something like that?" She said more to herself then him.

"What did you say?" He asked her, surprised.

"Sir Lisario," she said almost impatiently, "he told me he thought I would like the third task, but I don't see why he thought so. I dread balls."

"I was not aware you and Lisario were on such friendly terms, Lady Sae." Roderick remarked rather dryly.

"I was not aware I had to inform you," Sae countered, mocking his dryness. "Is that a problem?"

His expression was incredulous. "Of course not, I was merely making an observation."

"Well Sir Lisario is quite the agreeable gentleman," tremendously more so then other gentlemen she could currently name, "but I admit I have only conversed with him a handful of times. Now as for his highness Prince Sevastian," she could not help but boast to the man who was determined not to help her on that score, "he has been quite attentive. Not only has he opted to ride with me every morning and take walks with me some evenings, but today after our ride when he helped me dismount he held onto me a little long than what was necessary. So your _Royal Advisorness_, what do you make of that?"

Sae could not for one moment miss the curious way in which his expression instantly shadowed, masking any feeling that his face could betray, and Roderick was silent for a moment. Then, as if willing himself to smile, he donned a sort of painful grin as he spoke coolly to her.

"His highness, I am sure you have noticed, is an overly friendly person by character. He is a great lover of riding just as his younger brother Fabian is, however Fabian loves his solitude and so Sevastian is always looking for someone to ride with. The number of times he has tried in vain to get me out and riding with him I can not count, though I rarely ride and when I do I do it alone. As for the crowned prince, he finds partners for his expeditions readily enough, whether it be from his mother the Queen, or any of the maids while they are free. He has ridden before with the past contenders who were willing to ride and he cares little who it is he rides with, he just loves company.

"Now, as for his late evening walks with you, I scarily need tell you now that it is the same case, he simply loves to be around others and is glad of anyone's companionship. Really Lady Sae," and here his voice dipped into something else besides his usual dull tone; "you must not take him seriously for he is the same with everyone, and it would do you no good to count his behaviour towards yourself as anything special."

Sae became so disgruntled by his words she was incapable of forming any intelligible sentences. Instead she rose from her seat muttering something along the lines of, "you're wrong", and stormed out of his study, closing the door perhaps harder then really required.

Roderick forced himself to look away from his door and down at his paperwork, but even after he reached for his quill and began to furiously scribble it was of no use; his silent irritation only boiled and his quill soon found itself both shocked and affronted at being snapped into two.

Sae was so upset by his crushing her hopes that she was not paying the least bit of attention to where she was heading, and soon found herself bumping into the very knight she had spoken of earlier in Roderick's study.

"Why hello there Sae," he said, reaching out to steady her, and Sae thought to herself that if she hadn't been so livid then at this point she would probably be blushing at his touch. But now was not the time to be thinking on such things; she was not in the mood to be shy.

"Something wrong milady?" Lisario asked, getting a good look at her.

"I have just found out my third task," she replied. "I do not know why you think I would enjoy a ball."

He looked at her quizzically. "I was under the impression all ladies enjoyed a good ball."

"Well, I am not "all ladies", now am I?"

He laughed good-naturedly. "No, I suppose you aren't."

"And I think this is the task that will ruin me. I…" then she remembered something. "I didn't even choose an assistant to help me. I mean, before I found out what it was I suppose I was going to pick Roderick as usual but…" but that was before he had said such awful things to her.

Misinterpreting her meaning, Sir Lisario finished for her, "but perhaps to you he does not seem the best choice, as this is a social test, and Roderick has an isolated disposition about him."

"That is true," Sae nodded considering his point.

So perhaps it had been better she hadn't just assumed to ask him this time. After all, had she ever seen Roderick socialize before? Wasn't he always in his study taking care of palace matters? She certainly had never seen him in the evening in the drawing room with her majesty and her two sons. He probably couldn't even dance impressively anyway. The more she thought about it, the more Sae convinced herself that Roderick would not be a good choice for this task.

"But then who am I to ask for assistance from?" She wondered aloud.

Sir Lisario smiled. "I am quite found of balls and dancing, and I flatter myself in claiming to be exceptionally good in socializing. I would be a good advisor for you, should you want it."

He certainly did seem a good at socializing, especially compared to Roderick.

"Alright Sir Lisario, if you would be so kind as to help me then I shall dub you my assistant for the third task."

"I would be honoured." He said, taking her hand suddenly and kissing it. "Now, shall we meet together tomorrow before noon to commence with your social training? I doubt a lady such as yourself needs much help but I have attended the balls held for the previous girls who made it to task three, so I can be of some assistance I am sure."

"Tomorrow would be good." Sae agreed.

"Alright, then in the east sitting room it is. From there I will take you wherever I think we should start. I confess I've never been an assistant to any of the previous ladies but I think you will find you have made a good choice in me."

Sae had thought so too, until later that evening. Her lady's maids had been helping her prepare for bed, making small talk amongst themselves when Phèlie, brought to a sudden recollection said,

"Sae, did you not find out today about the third task?"

It was clear that by the sudden figurative light bulbs which appeared over the heads of her other two ladies in waiting that they had forgotten about it as well.

"I did," she answered quietly.

She hadn't yet decided just how much she was planning on telling them about it, and had been hoping for more time to figure it out.

"So, what do you think about it? Aren't you excited?" Alesia asked.

"Of course I'm not. I dread balls." She protested.

"Dread them, or are afraid of them?" Beda said sardonically.

"Why would I be afraid of balls?" Sae mocked indifference.

"Because you are a very shy young lady and are not too apt in socializing." Beda responded.

Alesia and Phèlie both laughed, Phèlie adding, "Well she does have a point Sae. You said so yourself you do not make friends easily."

"And I suppose Roderick will be assisting you again?" Alesia asked.

Here Sae came to a resolution on how much she would tell them. "Actually no, he will not be. Roderick does not seem the best choice for a social test, don't you agree?"

To her surprise however they weren't so ready to agree with her.

"I've seen him making himself agreeable enough at social gatherings." Alesia said with a slight frown. "For the past lady contenders we were allowed to go with them to the balls so we could wait on them should they need us for anything, and I remember thinking Roderick was quite the dancer."

"He's danced before?" Sae could not imagine such a thing.

"Oh yes, he has!" Phèlie clasped her hands together. "He's so elegant when he's dancing, and when he's not he's either talking business and politics with the gentlemen and discussing family and religion with the ladies"

"The Royal Advisor knows it's his job to socialize on behalf of the Fu Naru monarchy, he takes care to associate with as many people as he can, it's good for royal relations after all."

"But," Sae asserted, "here in the palace he's always alone in his study, tending to some palace business or other. I assumed he was a solitary man by nature."

"The Royal Advisor certainly does like his share of alone time, but he is not always in his study Sae. You only ever see him in his study because that is where he happens to be when he calls for you. In one day Roderick actually covers more ground of the palace than anyone else, and many times he is also off somewhere in the country."

"Well, in any case I did not choose him this time. Even if he would have turned out to be a great assistant as usual, I could not choose him. You see," and here she took a deep breath, "he was most abusive in his words to me earlier today and I stormed out on him."

"What?" They all cried, more upset by the news than Sae thought they would be.

"But this is terrible!" Phèlie cried, her eyes almost watering.

"What? Why are you all so overcome by this? Roderick is just Roderick. Sure, he is the one put in charge of helping me first and foremost, but it is not up to him if I stay or go. That right belongs to the Queen."

"You don't understand Sae," Alesia said. "Without Roderick on your side you are as good as gone. You must win his favour back. What exactly happened in the first place?"

"I simply told him that things between Prince Sevastian and I were going well and that the Prince was really warming up to me. For some reason this news only provoked him to say such unpleasant things. He made me feel like such a simpleton for believing that the prince was partial to me in any way."

The maids all exchanged glances, ones that Sae unfortunately found to be unreadable. After a moment, Beda was the first to speak.

"It was not right of him to crush your hopes, but you must not go and say such things like that to him. You must remember that the Prince is his particular friend; they are very close cousins. Roderick would not like to see his friend being tricked or schemed against, now would he?"

"I suppose not," Sae agreed upon reflection, "though I meant nothing devious of it. Perhaps it is artful of me, but I did not mean to betray or harm his highness in any way. I am most willing to make him a happy man should he choose me."

"I am sure Roderick will get over it in the meantime." Alesia assured. "But whom shall you choose to be your assistant then?"

"I have already chosen," Sae admitted. "Sir Lisario has volunteered his aid and I have accepted."

This time the maids all looked surprised, boarding on slight alarm.

"Whatever would make you think of him?" Phèlie asked at the same time that Alesia said, "I did not know you were on such close terms with that knight, Sae."

They were avoiding her eye and she remembered how earlier Roderick had been surprised when he found out she had been talking with Lisario.

"Something happened, didn't it?" Sae inquired. "With a previous contender, something happened. Am I right?"

"It is nothing you need concern yourself with." Beda said at once, saving the other two from answering "Sir Lisario is also a dear cousin to his highness Prince Sevastian and he is a respectable man. Still, there has in the past been ladies who have come here for the Prince, only to find themselves distracted by his handsome cousin the knight."

"Both are quite agreeable in looks and behaviour," Alesia added, "though there is something to be said about Sir Lisario. He is undeniably more alluring, especially when he speaks with his passionate deep tones, and turns on his charm."

"So I was right." Sae concluded. "Something did happen. Well, you need not fear for me, I am quite capable of controlling myself around men, besides, I have never felt great attraction towards any man alive and as of yet I have been able to resist any charms Sir Lisario emits."

"He _is_ quite enthralling Sae," Phèlie said, "I hope you do not let his flirtatious behaviour detour you away from why you are here."

"You speak as though it were his job to steer unfaithful ladies away from his highness. No matter though, even if it were his job to seduce the easily tempted woman, you need not fear for me. I shall be fine."

"Take care Sae," Alesia sighed. "You anger the one man whom you need more than anyone on your side, and then you choose the man most capable of leading you astray. Take care."

* * *

**End of Part One**


	8. Part Two: 1

**Part Two**

* * *

When Sir Lisario had mentioned meeting before noon, Sae hadn't realized until morning that it was not the most detailed arrangement. However, when she walked into the east sitting room an hour before midday, she found Sir Lisario sitting there waiting for her, and after he assured her he had only been there a few minutes himself, everything was settled and he asked her to follow him. Their journey was not long; Sae soon found herself entering the palace's south ballroom, the smaller of the two ballrooms Fu Naru's possessed and a better place to start, Sir Lisario concluded. The ballroom was set in a long, narrow fashion, a rectangular shape with stunning light that spilled onto the marble floors from the ceiling high windows, which stretched symmetrically along the east and west walls. The room was made of such pale, light shades that Sae wondered if perhaps it were used more often for midday banquets instead of evening balls.

"You will forgive me," Sir Lisario said with a rakish grin, "but I took the liberty earlier today while you were out on your morning ride to consult with yours maids and get a better understanding of you. You see, I would not wish to offend you by bringing you to this ballroom and asking you to demonstrate your dancing if you so excelled in it. However, your maids informed me that so far as they know you are not fond of dancing and most likely do not engage in it often. Now, you yourself admitted to me that you detested balls in general, so I took their word as true. They were, I imagine, correct in their estimations?"

Not meeting his eyes she nodded.

"Right well, I must take the opportunity in first making sure you can dance well. Then we shall get you into the habit of doing it, for it is imperative that during the third task you do dance."

Having only come out in society two years previous, as was tradition for noblewomen to be of age before attending social gatherings, Sae was still not comfortable at balls. In the past she had only ever been to two of them, and coupled along with a handful of feasts and banquets, and one wedding, she could not boast of being out in society more than that. Having young brothers and sisters meant that her parents were always busy with the family, and her father rarely liked to be out in society himself. He preferred simple countryside acquaintances to a room filled with nobility from across the country, most of whom he might rarely see for years.

"So milady, if you are ready, shall we dance?"

His smile was inviting and yet, Sae became immediately apprehensive at his words. It wasn't as if they were completely alone in the ballroom; there were servants around dusting and cleaning, though they were respectively going about their business and not watching Sae and the Knight. How inappropriate she'd feel if they were alone! Though, upon reflection, she had been alone, quite alone, with the Royal Advisor in his study for days at a time during preparation for the past two tasks. It was different though. He was so silent and grave and safe, she could hardly stay self-conscious for long, whereas Lisario was amiable and enthusiastic and dangerous for her, at least according to her lady's maids.

"There is nothing to be shy about," he pressed when she was silent. "You have danced with a gentleman before, haven't you?"

She had, with all strange men, and every time she had felt fidgety. It had been her disadvantage that she knew no young men, having grown up without any boys to claim as friends. She knew none of them, and she dreaded every dance.

"I do not take such delight in dancing as others do. I have danced with gentlemen before but…I did not do it with much pleasure."

"And that is why I am here, to see to it that you become more comfortable in a ballroom setting. Come, there is no need to feel tortured when dancing with me, I shall make this as pleasant for you as I can."

He held out his hand to her and she was forced to accept it. They bowed to each other and then commenced with some basic steps. Perhaps if dancing in Fu Naru were the same as it were in most other civilized countries, Sae would not mind it so much. The most fashionable dancing of the time was not to dance exclusively with one's partner, but rather to join with them in a large grouping of partners, which did not place a lot of emphasis on touching. However, Fu Naru was a country ahead of its time in social matters, and the Naruian Waltz was a very famous dance that consisted mainly of sticking with your designated partner.

"You dance gracefully," He flattered, turning her about. "I don't know why you hate it so much."

Whether she really danced well or it was just in his nature to flatter, she couldn't tell. She had never thought herself as graceful, so was doubtful of his words.

A few minutes later and he was finally content with releasing her.

"There now, that wasn't so bad, was it Sae?"

"I suppose it wasn't. Though, of all the men I've danced with, I've known you best out of all of them, and that is not saying much, is it?"

Here he frowned. "No, that is not. You and I Sae have hardly spoken more than three times. However, I do hope that we shall become quite intimate friends, and in the meantime I think that though your dancing is well enough, we shall do a bit of it everyday as to make you more accustomed to it."

"If that's what you think is best." She consented.

"I do. And also, I think you need to improve on your socializing skills. That is, become more used to the idea of meeting new people; being introduced and striking up a conversation with the nobility present. I shall get a list of who is coming and help you pinpoint people with whom it is expected of you to converse with. I dare say I know a great number of people myself, being a cousin to royalty, and so I can introduce you to many of them."

And so, Sae found that during the next couple of days she would have to endeavour to improve her social skills. Just as he had promised, Lisario brought with him a list of the aristocracy invited and went over it carefully with her.

"I see it is all the people who have attended the previous balls. Of the six ladies before you Sae, we have had four balls."

"And how many failed this task?" Sae asked.

Here he smiled. "None of them, though take care you don't become the first. I feel it my obligation to tell you that all of them seemed genuinely excited and prepared for the ball without having much preparation. This is probably the hardest task for someone of your disposition Sae."

"So you mean, four of the six ladies had passed this task and had gotten onto to the fourth task?"

"Yes. One lady had failed the first task, another failed the second. The remaining four all passed the third task, though three out of four of them failed the fourth. Only one of them had gotten onto the fifth task, and that is the furthest any lady has gone."

It was a fact that Sae was already familiar with, but what she hadn't known was that half of the girls who were contenders before her were defeated by the fourth task. Whatever it was, if she were even lucky enough to pass this one, she wondered how much of a chance she'd have with the fourth task.

"Now, I must also mention to you that some of the guests will be foreigners who have been invited by her majesty. It is a very vital quality of a ruler that they should be capable of retaining positive foreign relations, especially with the countries we have business dealings with. If you can be careful not to offend any of the visiting guests then you should be alright."

When she assured him she would do her best he added, "though I think we are progressing nicely. You do know your etiquette and proper ballroom decorum, that is evident enough. I know you will not embarrass yourself with bad manners. I have observed your refined eating habits, so I am confident in that. All we really must work on is making you more comfortable to the thought of dancing and socializing."

"My lady's maids told me this morning that they will be present as well."

"That is true, they will. Your ladies in waiting are allowed to accompany you and tend to you there, so if you are in want of anything they are ready to serve."

"I feel like such royalty to have a trail of maidens serving me in a ballroom."

"Well, if all goes well Sae, then you will be royalty."

"Yes…I suppose I will."

During their days of practice Sae found herself developing different aspects of herself. The first two tasks had relied mainly on her internal reasoning, but now she was making the conscious effort to become self-poised and sociable. Sir Lisario was proving to be a good tutor too. One day he had taken her around the palace and gotten her to strike up a conversation with everyone they passed. He also took her out onto the training grounds to get her more comfortable around men, and she was introduced to many of the knights.

He was as flirtatious and attractive as ever, but having spent the past few days with him, Sae soon came to find she could tolerate his dashing features and his beguiling demeanour. This was great training for her too, for she felt that if she could become comfortable in his presence then she could quite easily manage the average gentleman. By the fourth day she would almost say that she enjoyed dancing with Sir Lisario. He certainly was turning into someone she could find herself opening up to, though not quite on the same level as her maids or Condor, with whom she told all her fears.

She was happy she had chosen him to prepare her and not the Royal Advisor with whom she had not exchanged a word since the incident in his study. In fact, she had only seen him once in those preceding days before the ball. She and Lisario had been out in the courtyard taking advantage of the nice day, and practicing what Sir Lisario liked to call 'knowing the guests'.

"And what can you tell me about Baroness Bruliana?"

"She is an elderly lady with three grown up daughters, two of which have wed, the third still living with her. Her husband died late last winter. She likes to talk about the state of the country's economy, an unusual topic for a lady of her age."

"Or shall we say, an unusual topic for a lady in general?" Sir Lisario winked and chuckled.

She ignored him. "In any case if I should see her I will know what to talk about."

"Quite right. Well, you have been correct about the past thirty people mentioned, shall I go on?"

"Maybe we should take a little break first. My mind is drained."

"Well, the ball is the day after tomorrow; we must make sure you are ready for this."

"I will do my best. In the mean time let us just enjoy the sunshine."

They sat on a cast iron bench, adorned with elaborate floral patterns. Sir Lisario, noticing a pretty wild daisy growing within arms reach, bent forward and plucked it, handing it to Sae. "'Tis an unassuming beauty for the unassuming beauty sitting next to me."

Sae took the flower from him but did not blush. Being around him for several days had taught her how to put up with his nature. He spoke like that to every maiden they passed, so she no longer found it audacious coming from him.

Just as she accepted the flower she noticed a shadow nearing. Her eyes sought out its caster. Roderick happened to be passing through the courtyard at the time, as many do when they wish for a shortcut from one end of the palace to the other.

This had been the first time she had seen him since his cruel words. It was also the first time she had seen him outdoors and she couldn't deny he had a very elegant walk, or that the sun looked delightful as it played with the natural highlights in his dark brown hair.

Sir Lisario opened his mouth as if he were to call his cousin to join them, a horrible thing it would be thought Sae. However, Roderick simply glared at them with his cold blue expression, not stopping a moment to say anything, and proceeded to his destination. Soon he was out of sight.

"I don't understand him," Sae confided the moment he was gone. "Why is he always so serious? And just now he looked so sour." She did not add that they had gotten into a fight over Prince Sevastian.

Still, it did not prevent Lisario from laughing at her innocent bewilderment and saying, "Oh, I think I could take a wild guess as to why he's upset."

This confused her even more and she felt as though she were missing something. Whatever it was, the knight sure found it amusing.

"Now, shall we be breaking much longer or do you wish to get back to training?"

They commenced with their revisions but Sae could not shake the distracting thoughts out of her head, nor could she rid that feeling of dismay which seemed to swell inside of her. She was very thankful she had chosen Sir Lisario as her assistant. Imagine if she had asked Roderick, how on earth would he have prepared her for this? Would he have quizzed her on the guests coming? Would he have insisted on dancing with her everyday? The thought made her blush, because it was such a horrifying idea of course, and it would have been dreadfully awkward.

Besides, she was still bitter about his words. Though the Prince still accompanied her on morning rides and was as attentive as ever, she could not close her eyes to the way he interacted with others. Ever since Roderick mentioned it, she now began to notice how Sevastian was with others: servants, his family, and the general inhabitants of the palace. He was kind and eager for attention from everyone. He was grateful for company, just as Roderick had said. She felt like such a fool.

The night of the ball came fast upon Sae. The north ballroom, which was affectionately called the northern star of Fu Naru, had been pampered to look its best for the evening. For the past couple of days servants had been running in and out of it getting everything ready. Sae had gotten the opportunity to go in and look around, just so she could prepare herself for its vast size. It certainly did dwarf the southern ballroom. The ballrooms she had been to in the past belonged to the nobility in the western part of the country, her neighbours. This king-size ball however was exclusively for specially invited guests. Apparently people who were at the top of the top, both within and outside the country.

With two hours to prepare, Mayah came directly to Sae's apartments and began to assist the maids.

"Yes, yes, with your raven coloured hair and fair complexion Sae, this is the perfect colour for you."

"Do you think so?" Sae was genuinely surprised. She had never worn, much less owned, a blue dress.

"It sparkles like the sapphires in your hair." Phèlie said admiringly, adjusting said jewels, which were placed very elegantly alongside the twists and knots in Sae's upsweep hairstyle. "I think blue is your colour Sae, it really does go well with you. Why, it even brings a touch of blue to your grey eyes."

Sae glanced at herself in the mirror. Alesia was behind her, combing the locks of her hair that hung in loose cascading coils down her back.

"Perhaps some more rouge for you as well, you seem a little white. Do not be nervous my child." Mayah said comfortingly, as Beda handed her the rouge.

"I shall have to thank her majesty for the dress the moment I see her. I had not anticipated such a present to be waiting for me."

"Do not forget to thank her for the flowers either." Beda reminded her cautiously.

Sae glanced back at the pretty white lilies resting on her bed. It was customary for the Queen to give the honoured guest of a ball a bouquet of flowers, should that guest be a young lady. Ignorant of such things, Sae was taken aback when they had arrived hour previous. "Yes, I mustn't forget that."

"Nor his highness' flowers either."

Those perplexed Sae even more. He had sent her red roses. The little card note that came with them was signed as "_Sevastian_" and the writing looked almost familiar to her.

"This is definitely my favourite dress of all the ones given out to the contenders," Phèlie sighed, touching a spot of fabric. "Oh Sae, do try your best. I really want you to win."

"That's enough Phèlie," Beda said. "You don't want to put any more pressure on her."

"Well, your hair is done with." Alesia stepped back and admired her own handiwork.

"And it is almost time," Mayah added. "Now, her majesty and her sons will be entering the ballroom soon enough, though I do not think there are much guests here as of yet. Now, we must wait for Sir Lisario to come and claim you and take you in, and then your task shall begin."

It was not long before the Knight came to her door. He was dressed smartly, not in his usual loose training clothes, but in a fashionable and formal, colourful attire. In short he was the most handsome man Sae had ever laid eyes on, and this realization made her all the more nervous, for it was she who was meant to enter with him into the ballroom. How would they compare? The thought was certainly not a comforting one for her.

"You milady, are a goddess among mortals." He said the moment he saw her in her satin sapphire drop waist gown, and offered his arm.

Together they left with her three ladies-in-waiting and Mayah, all four of them dressed as fashionably as they could for servants, following her respectively from behind.


	9. Part Two: 2

**Part Two**

* * *

As she expected the ballroom was simply exquisite. In contrast with the south ballroom this one was much richer in its colour, and seem much more livelier, filled with people and tables and food. The space in the middle for dancing made her nervous. It was bigger than she had foreseen; she had been to the ballroom before they had set the tables up, but she had supposed those tables would take up much of the space. However, there was plenty of room to dance and the task really began to overwhelm her. When she and Sir Lisario entered the room they were announced in, and heads from every direction turned to get a look at her, the newest contender. How well would she fare, they wondered.

An hour passed in which Lisario guided Sae around the room to be introduced to everyone he knew. She was certainly doing her best, and she smiled at the thought of what her parents would say if they could see her at that moment.

Soon her majesty was announced in, along with her two sons. The Queen had donned herself in white-gold silk that seemed to wash out her already fair skin. Her sons however were radiant in their regal garbs, Prince Fabian having chosen an olive toned royal tunic that suited him quite well. Prince Sevastian dazzled the room in a deep forest green, and though it was much darker than his warm green eyes, the effect was still pleasant, and his tall, board frame was emphasized through the cut of his coat.

Being as appealing to look at as he was, Sae was saddened but not surprised to note that Prince Sevastian was immediately surrounded by a group of ladies, all of whom he accommodated best he could with answers, for they peppered him with many questions. He certainly was treating each and every one of them as gentlemanly as he had her. It would not have bothered her, had he have been more open during their time together; if he had shown that deep side of him that Condor eluded to. Instead, he was chivalrous and obliging, just as he was being with these ladies.

Sir Lisario excused himself as he graciously offered to go and acquire her a goblet of wine. What she didn't know was that he intended to take his time, for she had been following him closely thus far, and though she was making progress in the room it wasn't the way to winning this task. She'd have to learn to socialize without him there. The knight disappeared into the crowd of nobles and Sae was left standing there. With no present Sir Lisario to guide her, and no Lady Kiva for her to hang on to, Sae was left to her own devices. She took the moment to observe the Prince's behaviour and was thus surprised when a well-known deep voice, which she hadn't heard from in days, accosted her from behind.

"You are doing very well Lady Sae, though you do look a little tense." He said.

Sae turned around and her mouth unconsciously unhinged. Though by nature he dressed in a tasteful manner, that evening he was looking exceptionally fine in his velvety, deep cobalt attire. The first thing she noticed was the way it brought out the warm blue tones in his otherwise cold eyes, softening them. The effect was unnerving. Roderick was every bit as handsome as his two cousins.

Just then the sound of Prince Sevastian laughing animatedly with his group of lady admirers broke her attention. It brought back the memory of their last exchange of words. Words that were less than cordial, especially compared to the ones he was applying presently.

Feeling every bit the bitter loser, Sae said quietly, "You were right Roderick, he is the same with all ladies. Perhaps…perhaps it's time I resort to other means."

With a sudden sense of alarm Roderick was just about to ask her what she meant when the man whom they were speaking of appeared out of thin air. His league of admirers followed behind him but stopped when they realized his intention to talk with Roderick and Sae without their accompaniment. He had, after all, properly excused himself when he saw the two people with whom he wished to greet; they just chose to follow. Roderick and Sae had at that moment been engaged by their conversation and had not seen his approach.

"How are you Sae? Cousin?"

"Tolerable." Roderick muttered.

Sae mustered the best smile she could and added her thanks for the roses. Prince Sevastian looked confused and asked her what she was referring to. Roderick looked away as if he wished he were no longer there listening to their cozy little chat, though Sae thought it was better he should know that the Prince sent her flowers. That might give her a point or two over him in this strange game they were playing, trying to find out whether the prince had a preference for her or not. So far it looked as if Roderick was winning, though the flowers had been a small hope. Only…

"What do you mean, your highness?" Now Sae was confused. "You sent me roses and signed the card yourself."

A moment passed and then total comprehension dawned on the Prince's face. "Right, right, the roses. Well, we do take walks in the rose gardens. I thought it would be suitable. Don't you think so Roderick?"

Roderick looked as if he wanted to shoot daggers at the Prince for asking him. Instead he answered monotonously, "I can't say that I do, but then, I was never one for those silly romantic demonstrations."

"Oh, is that so?" Sevastian quirked an eyebrow and laughed at his cousin's words. "Well Sae, I think it is time you and I dance. What do you say to that?"

Again she was caught off guard. "Oh, uh, yes, of course your highness."

"_Sevastian_." He smiled, presenting his hand.

"Sevastian." She repeated and they were off.

While dancing with the Prince, who was a delightful conversationalist and light on his feet, Sae wondered for a moment where his cousin, Sir Lisario had wandered off too, but decided not to think too much of it. This was her time to focus. Even if it were masked as a social event this was still a task.

After putting up with several dances involving the Prince and other men, Sae decided it would not harm her appearance should she tell the next suitor that she was in need of a little break, and so proceeded to the table where her ladies-in-waiting all sat. After having entered the ballroom, the ladies made their way quickly to the table Sae was expected to sit at with her attendants. The girls knew that they were not there to enjoy themselves, that all the guests would ignore their presence, and that their sole job was to wait on Sae. Since Lisario had taken her around to mingle, all they had to do was wait for her at her table. They sat there and remained as inconspicuous as possible. It wasn't long before Sae did join them however.

"I just wanted a break from all the gentlemen." She admitted, flushed from the dancing. "I am not accustomed to such attention. Being a contender for the throne sure does attract young men."

"So does being beautiful." Alesia smiled in an affectionate, teasing way.

Sae shook her head and the maids laughed. Then a young man who was drawn to their table, either by Sae's fame as a contender or by her beauty, asked her if she cared to dance.

Sae dreaded to do it but knew she had no real excuse other than taking a little break. But how long could she use that lie?

"I'm sorry sir," Alesia said smoothly. "Lady Sae has sore feet from overuse and she will be resting for a bit. I am sure the last thing a gentleman like yourself would like to do is further irritate this lady's feet in any way."

"It is the last thing I would like to do," He assured them all, "but if you are willing to dance later milady?"

"At present her dance card is all filled sir. I am afraid your request comes a little too late." Alesia countered.

The man said his thanks and left feeling slightly dejected. Sae was simply marvelled by Alesia's falsehoods.

"Well, I could tell at once he was the persistent type, and that won't do at all. You are here for his highness Sae."

"I had no idea you were such a quick thinker Alesia. I hardly knew how to answer him and already you were prepared with a counterfeit story."

Phèlie and Beda both snickered, Beda adding dryly, "Quick thinker? More like quick liar. I've never known a servant with a better lying reflex, especially when confronted with a difficult circumstance. She comes up with such convincing tall tales on the spot, no matter the situation. It's really quite deplorable."

Alesia smiled shamelessly.

"Sae!"

The girls' intimate party was broken up by the arrival of a fifth member. A fine lady around Sae's age, dressed quite impeccably in an empire waist ruby gown came to claim an acquaintance with Sae. Sae took a good look at her and realized it was Cataveren, one of the few girls she had associated with at social gatherings over the past two years. She was probably the closest thing Sae had had to a friend outside her own family. Cataveren was certainly more sociable than Sae, being a very friendly girl by nature, and so she had been very anxious to befriend all the ladies coming out the year she did, Sae being one of them. Where most girls thought Sae was a quiet and therefore snotty lady, Cataveren had set aside such presumptions and made the attempt to know Sae. Two years later, though they were not bosom friends, Cataveren did delight in seeing Sae at familiar gatherings and Sae was comforted to know there was always someone around she could speak to at such nerve-wracking affairs. It had been a while since the two had met, but Sae noted immediately that something was different about Cataveren. Not so much in looks as in the air in which she carried herself.

"Oh Sae! It _has_ been long, hasn't it?"

"Far too long." Sae said politely, accepting a hug from the joyous girl.

"You can't believe the shock I had when I heard you were the latest contestant. Oh! So happy was I, for I confess most of the previous ladies I did not know too well. More than half of them were from other countries after all, though knowing now you are a contender is just so exciting."

"That's one way to think of it," Sae answered and then gestured to her table. "Please Cataveren, sit."

"I think I shall. My husband has disserted me for his gentlemen friends and their talks about I know not what!"

"These are my lady servants," Sae said. "Beda, Phèlie and Alesia, and this is Lady Cataveren."

"Pleased to meet you," The ladies-in-waiting promptly responded and Cataveren smiled condescendingly at all of them and said, "my word Sae, you do have pretty maids attending you."

That was when Sae realized something. "Wait!—That is," she checked herself, "did you just say you had a _husband_?"

"Oh, lords yes, didn't you know? I got married this early spring to the archduke Sir Farth."

"Sir Farth, wow." Sae was surprised, and for good reason.

Being the archduke was a big deal in Fu Naru. Being married to him was just as big. Still, that didn't surprise Sae as much as the fact that Cataveren had actually married him. He was, after all, quite aged. Aged and podgy and not handsome at all.

"Yes, you silly goose." Lady Cataveren smiled. "How else do you think it is possible that I should be here, at the ball so exclusively held for the superior aristocracy? Do you see any other count or baron daughters here? Do you see any of the familiar ladies our age we usually see at balls? This is a _grand_ ball Sae. I have been to four before it, all held for the contenders. Oh, I do hope you last till the end. To have the Prince for a husband, my, what luck would that be!"

"But Cataveren…you can't be serious about Sir Farth…why, he's so…"

"So what? Rich?" Was she being stupid on purpose?

"So…so old! So portly! And his features…they are not appealing in the least. Are you truly happy?"

"I am content." Cataveren said firmly, flicking an invisible piece of lint off the table's silk covering. "Not everyone can have your fortune in getting a chance at Prince Sevastian Sae. I took what was offered and I think I made the right decision. Certainly Farth is getting on in years but he is a good man, a nice husband. Besides, Sae, wasn't it you, when all the girls laughed at me for saying love was not an equation in marriage but rather we must look for a suitable match, wasn't it you who defended me and said I was right? Wasn't it you who claimed that they were all foolish for being so picky about husbands when it was all a matter of chance?"

Avoiding everyone's eye Sae admitted to it. Not that Cataveren noticed her avoiding anyone else's eye but her own. As far as she was concerned the lady's maids were just animate accessories and not really present in their conversation.

"Then you more than anyone agree with my choice, don't you Sae?"

Cataveren hid her desperation for reassure under that cheerful mask of hers, but Sae could hear it. Already the girl doubted her choice.

"Yes Cataveren," Sae assured nevertheless, "I would agree with your decision, it is certainly a match to your benefit."

"_Good_, I knew you'd see it like that. After all, you would do the same thing, wouldn't you? I mean of course, we can't all have your luck with a chance at the Prince, but regardless, even if he were not so handsome and not so young, I am sure you would do the sensible thing and press on to secure him."

According to Sae's own logic that would be correct. However, there was a strange feeling in Sae's heart which whispered to her that this was not the case. She could pretend all she wanted, but she would never have married the archduke, no matter how good the match was.

"Now then," Cataveren went on. "How taken are you with his highness? He is quite handsome, isn't he? You know, before these balls I really had no idea what the princes of the country looked like; I believe few people did. It really is horrid the way their mother kept them locked inside the castle, away from the eyes of the public. Some of the ridiculous rumours going around were just too much, like the one about them really being princesses and the country having no male heir. Really, such ridiculous nonsense. Oh, there's my husband, see Sae? He's looking over here…and he's beckoning me, well I must be off then. But stay in near sight for I shall be back to speak some more with you."

Cataveren was off and Sae realized in that moment that none of her maids had said a word in a while.

"So…that was my acquaintance Cataveren." Sae interjected.

"I don't like her." Phèlie said at once and both Beda and Alesia shushed her, demanding her to show some respect.

"What? It's the truth. I like to be truthful with Sae as much as I am allowed to be," Phèlie argued. "Lady Cataveren reminds me of half of the previous contenders, looking down on us like servants."

"Well, we _are_ servants." Alesia noted. "And you had best hold your tongue now."

"That is still no reason to look down on us. Perhaps she is superior to us in status and that is why we serve her, not the other way around, but as human beings she could at least have acknowledged our presence more."

"Well, she did call you all pretty." Sae pointed out.

"Yes, as if it were such an impossible thing for a lady's maid to be." Phèlie snorted defiantly. "Anyway, never mind the girl who has become archduchess, let us speak of something else."

"Like the fact that Sir Lisario is coming this way." Beda mentioned.

Sir Lisario, charming to all, including servants, sat for a few minutes when he got there and dazzled them all around. Then he claimed Sae for a dance. The sore foot excuse was out the window and soon Sae was expected to dance more with various gentlemen. It was better this way however. If she sat at her table all night she wouldn't pass the task. It was something she had to keep reminding herself of too; the ball was a task, she was being examined, and she had better be more sociable.

She also noted that Prince Sevastian was doing all in his power to be sociable. He had such a sweet temper, such a friendly countenance and offered such warm words that she almost became cross by his total indifference towards any particular lady, as if he longed after no one. She had tried to encourage him, but it wasn't enough, she knew that now.

That day in Roderick's study when she had joked that maybe seduction would work and Roderick had panicked she had been half serious. It was not something she had ever done before, yet Prince Sevastian was not responding to modest tactics and she was getting desperate. What if she failed this task? And then, even if she were to pass it, three of the four girls who had passed it before had been knocked out by the fourth task. Whatever it was she was already dreading it, whether she even had the chance to experience it or not.

As if by some cruel twist of fate she found herself asked both politely and frigidly by the Royal Advisor to dance, just as she was making up her mind on these matters. She wondered if he did it merely out of obligation to be seen dancing, for he had hardly danced that evening and she was the honoured guest of the ball after all, or maybe he was genuinely trying to help her out in this task by making her dance. In any case, before the night was over and before Sae had made up her mind, she was dancing with Roderick. To her dismay her maids were right; he was a flawless dancer.

"If it is not too impertinent to ask Lady Sae, would you care to tell me what you meant earlier by your words in reference to using other means with his highness?"

It was too impertinent by her standards, but she didn't dare say such a thing to him. "Merely that I must try a different course of action."

"And different how so?" He pressed.

If he thought she would divulge in her plans, he was not in his right mind. However, to get him off her back she did say, "I cannot really say I have thought anything through, only that perhaps where Sevastian is concerned I need to be more _assertive_ and _aggressive_."

After a pause in which Roderick was collecting his thoughts and Sae thought he looked a little perturbed, he finally answered. "Aggressiveness is not a common trait in women, least of all _you_, I hazard to say."

"And maybe that's exactly the problem." She dared to look him straight in the eyes and challenge him to say anything else about her reserved character.

Roderick frowned. In the next few minutes of silent dancing a certain scene played about in his head, in which Sae declared '_I suppose I could always try seducing him_.' Sae's mistake was that she underestimated Roderick's mental ability. He knew exactly what she was referring to. He hoped he was wrong, but he doubted the possibility of that just the same. As the song ended and the silence became more and more uncomfortable Sae gladly left his side and he began to form a plan.

The ball was coming to an end. Sae was summoned by the Queen, who remained sitting comfortably on a throne chair brought in for her to observe the guests and chat with whomever she should want.

"Lady Sae," she said when Sae came forward. "Yes dear girl, I have decided that you have passed this task."

And just like that, Sae claimed victory over the third task, though the war to winning was still a long shot. Three tasks down, three to go.

After her ladies made sure she was taken care of for the evening, they left Sae tucked in bed and went to claim their own resting places in the servants' quarters. Sae waited a quarter of an hour. When she knew it was safe she threw back her covers and reached for her delicate white robe to put over her sleeping garments. She was feeling reckless after passing the third task. Prince Sevastian she noted had had generous amounts of wine that evening so she was in little doubt of his agreeable spirits. If he should push her away, if he should scold her or be shocked then she would deal with it; it was now or never. She knew that if she didn't try tonight she might never have the courage to try. He was not responding to her in a normal way. Maybe all he needed was a bit of encouragement…

Slipping through the halls she was unnoticed by the patrolling guards who walked through the corridors to keep themselves awake, instead of standing in one spot. This was Sae's advantage over them.

It did not take her long to travel to the south wing of the palace. The grand master bedroom in which the sickly king slept had two guards posted at it. But Fu Naru was a peaceful country and had been for centuries. The guards were surprised to see her but she informed them she was having trouble sleeping and was taking a stroll. There was no danger in her they felt, and so paid no attention as she travelled down the corridors. They remained at their post in front of the king's door. Turning down more passages and hallways she noted the other room she passed with the royal sign over it, and yet this was a smaller crown, one for the younger prince she wagered. She could hear more guards in the distance but they seemed to be walking away from not towards her, and she doubted they would trouble her, as the previous ones did not. Finally she came to the doors with a symbol of a crown over them, not golden like the King's but not small like the other one. It was silver and for some reason she felt as though that confirmed it to be Prince Sevastian's room.

With trembling hands Sae reached for the handles of the doors and took one firmly, turning it slowly and pulling the heavy door back. On the other side of the door, far enough that he was masked in shadow but close enough that she could still see he was facing her with arms crossed, the man looked menacingly at her and said with a scowl, "I knew it."

Sae closed her eyes and wished herself a thousand miles away. _Why was _he _here?_

"What do you think you are doing here?" He demanded and she opened her eyes promptly.

"What do you think _you _are doing here?" She retorted, unable to say anything else.

"I had a feeling you would be coming tonight, so I asked Sevastian to sleep in another part of the castle and I've been here waiting for you…I was hoping you wouldn't turn up, but I knew better than to hope."

"But…how could you possibly have known?"

Roderick looked annoyed that she was still asking the questions, but he answered them patiently. "You said you'd try other means and I just knew. However, that's irrelevant. Now, what do you think you are doing trying to seduce a man in the middle of the night to whom you are not married? Sneaking into his chambers like a common thief. And here I thought you were a lady."

"But he…well, how else can I make him love me when he feels the same for everyone?" It took all her restraint not to sound as frustrated as her words implied.

What happened next frightened her. Roderick was no longer cloaked by shadows. He was beside her suddenly and in another instant the door behind her was closed and she was being pressed back into it.

With a firm grip on her wrists he caged her between himself and the door and said in very serious low murmur. "How do you make him fall in love with you? The honest way. Or else don't bother."

"But I cant…" She struggled to say; startled by the way he was holding her against the door. This was more intimate contact with a man than she had ever had, and it terrified her.

His gaze bore into hers, making it impossible to look away. "Be honest with yourself then _Sae_. Do you really even want him? You told me yourself, you aren't capable of love. So if you can't love him, do you really want him?"

His words made her forget about the intensity of his eyes. Now all they seemed were deep, so deep she became breathless looking into them. He was reading her like she never thought possible. He knew the dark secret she was carrying in her heart about this whole ordeal. "No," she confessed in a shallow whisper, "I don't."

Her words were a death sentence of the sweetest kind. In that moment Roderick closed the gap between them. Sae felt herself being pressed flatly against the solid door behind her and the pressure of his body as he lowered his lips dangerously close. And then…she experienced something she had never felt before. It was her first kiss…but it was much too fiery for a first kiss. There was nothing sweet about what they were doing. Hot flecks of exhilaration filled her and she couldn't believe this was what it felt like to kiss. She could hardly breath, could hardly find enough of his soft lips to taste, to bite into. His tongue…what a wondrous thing it was…how could she have never noticed it before? His hands, his strong hands holding her, his fingers stroking her and touching her; she couldn't believe these feelings. She hardly thought her poor senses could take a second more of this when he slowed down their kiss to a yielding, sweeter one, and finally taking his hands off her and pulling her hands out of his hair he backed away, looking at her one more time.

They both stepped away from the door as if trying to disassociate themselves from a crime. Sae thought she might go deaf from the sound of her own heart trying madly to flee out of her chest. Its rapid beating was certainly painful. For his part Roderick wasn't looking any more composed. Breathing raggedly, his blue eyes were glossy in the darkness.

In a strange voice he said, "If you don't want him, then what are you doing?"

Then he opened the door, and adding "good night" promptly left her standing there like a statue.

She was still catching her breath when he left. He had asked her what she was doing. What she wanted to know was, what was _he_ doing? He had just taken her first kiss from her…Roderick! How terribly improper! This wasn't right…this was, this was _marvellous_. No, it wasn't, it was indecent of her as a lady. Sure, she had been meaning to do the same with the Prince, but _he_ was meant to be her husband, it was completely different. And sure, it _felt_ marvellous, but it wasn't, it was wrong, completely wrong. Besides, who ever heard of someone falling in love after just one kiss? What was she, a character in one of Mealina's little fairytales?

As she walked back to her room, almost an hour later after having composed herself, she stubbornly thought ten times over that she was incapable of love. Then she began to make excuses for why he would do such a thing. She decided the most logical reason was that he was testing her. The Prince was his best friend and he needed to herd away the wrong kind of woman. She had once thought of Sir Lisario as the man to distract the fickle woman, but perhaps it was Roderick's actual job to catch promiscuous ladies. Yes, that was most likely it.

The thought didn't sit well with her. The idea that he had done the same thing to the six ladies previous was not at all a comforting thought! To have kissed all those women the way he had just kissed her, with that same intense passion…no the thought was unbearable! In any case, he would not make her out to be some sort of loose lady. She had her morals, he could not prove anything. He had kissed her most likely to draw her out and trick her, but she'd prove to be loyal to Sevastian.

His words repeated in her head then. Did she want the Prince? Truly though, did it even matter? Cataveren was right; this wasn't about want. If it were about want then she'd be back in that room pressed up against that door, between its solid surface and Roderick…no, and _not_ Roderick. That settled the matter. It was Prince Sevastian for her or she'd give up the men of Fu Naru Palace entirely.

Despite whatever it was she told herself, she still went to bed hoping the Royal Advisor hadn't done that to the other contenders. She wasn't sure what she wanted, but that at least was something she knew she far from desired.


	10. Part Two: 3

**Part Two**

* * *

It had been by no means a good night for Sae. Trying her very hardest to be a sensible girl, she firmly took a hold of her nerves and told them they had better not torment her through the night. She intended on drowning her distress in sleep and would not stand for her own thoughts keeping her awake. There is only so much one can control. Just as she wished, sleep did overcome her once calmness settled in. Her dreams were not to be so compliant.

Mealina was leaning against a familiar birch tree in their family gardens, a golden sparkly book in her hands and her attention alert and focused. Only Mealina was different; she looked older. Her golden hair was longer and darker, as seasons had nurtured it into deep rich golden locks. She looked engrossed by the book resting against her blossoming hips. Then, and to Sae it seemed not in the least bit unusual, Mealina's eyes became her eyes and she was looking into the golden book.

The book was comprised wholly of wordless pictures in such colourful design they almost hurt Sae's eyes. Then she was in the book, and all the colors became dark and misty. There before her stood a fairy. The fairy had clear blue eyes to match her blue-tinted skin. She wore a glittering cloak of flowers and her hair lit up as if fireflies dwelled within the loose curls.

"Hello my child," spoke the fairy and Sae knew at once by her tone and face that it was Mayah, only she appeared younger. No not younger, immortal, as if age and aging were not consequences of her living.

"Hello fairy godmother," Sae answered.

"It is time for you to be awakened."

These words confused Sae, for she was not aware she was sleeping. "Awakened from what, ethereal mother?"

"Not awakened _from_ my dear, but awakened _to_…awakened to your future, to the life you are destined to have, to things you were born to feel."

"But I tell you, I know not what you mean." Sae found her cheeks wet and her voice cracking in desperation.

"Be calm, this farce shall soon pass. Soon you will see it is all necessary for you to become what you are meant to be."

Feeling hopeless to a situation she could not fathom, Sae stubbornly sat herself down on a tree stump. She became aware of shadowy forest surrounding her, with strange mists floating about and twilight setting above the hushed trees.

Mayah the fairy godmother turned away from her and called with her bell-like voice through the forest, "come my fairies, come! It is time to prepare her."

Three beautiful pixie-like fairies appeared from the trees, and even with the wrong coloured skin, too big eyes, and strange plant fashion Sae still recognized them to be her three ladies-in-waiting. They flocked to her, their wings all beating steadily behind their backs, and they set to work on touching her hair, her clothes, her arms, her face until she felt a sort of transformation taking place both inside and out. With a blink of the eye she realized they had changed her appearance. She felt the sudden weight of the full-skirt of her high-waist white gown and there were more strings of bracelets and necklaces about her arms and neck than she could count. Her hair had been done in a modern trend of coiling tresses down her back that flattered her greatly, and on her head a circlet of diamonds and white gold was placed. Forget being a queen, she felt like a goddess.

The fairies all flew back to the fairy godmother and admired their work.

"You are now ready Sae."

Sae had no idea what she meant, but she did not think herself ready. Feeling apprehensive, Sae cried, "No! Please, no, I am not ready, please…please don't let anything happen, I can't handle—I'm not ready!"

"_You are ready, you are ready_," the three fairy helpers all sang, as if trying to sooth her worry. "_You are ready_."

"I'm not, I'm not!" Sae covered her ears and closed her eyes to shut out their intoxicating words. Now she was crouching by the ground, looking very strange for a woman dressed so regally.

Then she felt a hand press against one of her own. It was both firm and gentle. The warm appendage pulled her hand away from her ear. Surprised by the touch, she felt her hands complying and her eyes followed suit and opened. The hand continued to hold on to hers and a pair of eyes were gazing deeply into her cloudy grey ones.

"Who are you?" Sae asked breathlessly, pulling herself back up.

"I am your prince charming." He said with such a solemn expression, rendering her incapable of doubting his words.

And in that moment she realized he was perfect, perfect in every way because he wasn't a perfect human being, but it was all his faults, all the things that made him _him_ that were perfect: perfectly suited for her.

"I will kiss you now." He remarked, more like an observation than notification, as if he were speaking of the weather.

The oddity in which the statement was said did not seem in the least strange to Sae. Instead she gathered herself and said, "Now please."

Though her words suggested it she wasn't impatient. By the sudden look of hunger in her prince's blue eyes, it seemed that he was. In the dream Roderick clasped her to him in a familiar way and kissed her as if she were the dearest thing alive. It was exhilarating and vivid to the point where Sae woke up nuzzling her slightly damp pillow.

That was when the panic started.

Dreams are the work of a tricky exchange between the mind (subconscious and conscious) and one's imagination. Sae could not comprehend why her own mind wanted to torture her, though perhaps a more sweet torture had never been administered. It was not possible, she reasoned to herself, flustered and distressed and befuddled, not sensibly or logically possible for a very sensible and logical girl like herself to have fallen in love over a dream. Impossible! No matter how fast her heart was beating, nor how the vivid remains of a melodic dream occupied her thoughts, the simple truth was that she could not be in love with the dull, indifferent Royal Advisor!

So maybe he _had_ kissed her in the realm of the living only hours before her fantasies in slumberland, but she was just as likely to fall for a man because of one measly kiss as she was to fall in love with him over an inconsequential dream.

The thought of his kiss made her blush, which set her off on another tizzy. The kiss in the dream had felt so real and so good, but it was nothing to the memory of his actual kiss. She was in trouble.

This feverish, jumpy, tense manner did not sit well with her. Never before had she been in such a state. She almost jumped right out of bed when she heard the sound of her lady's maids around her. She had not even noticed their entrance, so absorbed by her troubling thoughts.

"Goodness Sae, keep your soul in your body. No need to jump out on our account." Beda said.

Alesia pulled her covers back from her and noted, "you look pale Sae…and your forehead looks a little moist. Are you feverish?"

"I…"Sae began with a shaky voice, but stopped as soon as she heard how strange she sounded.

"Dear me, Phèlie go run for the royal doctor, Sae is not well." Beda said, pushing Sae back down. "Just rest milady, we'll take care of you."

"Wait, I'm not sick." Sae struggled to get back up, pushing away Beda's hands.

"You look ill," Phèlie observed as she came back towards the bed. "Are you sure you wouldn't rather I go and fetch the doctor?"

"Stay, please stay." She swung her heels over the side of the matress and sat there for a moment collecting herself. "I only look pale because I am disturbed."

"Disturbed?" Alesia asked dubiously, "but whatever for?"

"_Why_?" Sae answered incredulously, as if the answer should be as obvious to them as it was to her. "Well, wouldn't _you_ be? He _kissed_ me after all!"

The look of alarm on all three maid's faces was evident enough to her.

"Who?" The word was uttered almost hungrily by Phèlie and repeated disapprovingly by Beda.

"Roderick!" Sae exclaimed. "He said he was my prince charming and told me he was going to kiss me."

"He told you what!" The maids now looked beside themselves.

"And it's your fault as well! All three of you, forcing me to wear that white gown and singing that idiot song about me being ready when I knew I wasn't. Who said I wanted a fairy godmother and her little fairy minions to meddle in my business anyway?"

"Sae…can you please talk sense? What do you mean by telling us we dressed you up and sang to you?" Alesia's red eyebrows disappeared underneath her soft bangs.

"Fairy godmother?" Beda frowned. "Could this possibly be a dream you are speaking of?"

Sae rolled her eyes impatiently. "Of course it's a dream, as if that makes it any better. It affects me just the same. How am I supposed to feel, to think, with this dream hanging over my head?"

All the maids visibly relaxed and Phèlie and Alesia even began to laugh.

"Only a dream! Oh Sae, you had me so taken in. I actually thought the Royal Advisor had kissed you! Can you imagine how fantastical that would be!" Phèlie giggled.

"Though I do wonder what brought on this dream," Alesia added. "After all, they do say that dreams are the work of troubles during the day. Could it be maybe you are harbouring feelings for Roderick?"

They were all watching closely for her reaction now, as if it meant a great deal to see what she said. Sae knew it did matter though. She was here for Prince Sevastian, their master. Should she fall in love with anyone else, well it was most likely their job to report it.

"The reason behind my dream is simple really." Sae told them. "I don't…did not have feelings for him as far as I know, but when a man suddenly grabs you, cages you between himself and a door, and then kisses you both wildly and tenderly, well I suppose a consequence is that when you sleep, you'll have dreams about him."

It took a while for her words to sink in.

"This was another dream?" Phèlie asked confusedly.

"I assure you it was not," Sae replied on edge. "If he had been more forcible about it I would have the marks to prove it. Thankfully he is not a brute. Last night I snuck over to Prince Sevastian's room in hopes of…talking with him about the ball. I…couldn't sleep and I wanted someone to talk to, and I thought his highness would be good since I am here trying to make him love me. Instead of Sevastian, Roderick was there waiting for me as if he knew I was going to do just the thing. He scolded me and then next thing I know he was pressing me against a door and assaulting me. I have no idea why and I don't have the nerve to ask him."

"This is…inconceivable." Beda said after a pause.

Alesia cocked her head to the side. "Well, he _is_ a man after all. I suppose even Roderick desires women, though I've never heard or seen anything of the like in his case. He is quite secretive."

It was admittedly a comfort for Sae to hear this, for she was still toying with the idea that perhaps Roderick was testing her and that he had kissed all the previous ladies before. As all the maids were clearly shocked by what she told them, she began to see the unlikelihood of her original suspicion.

"Sae! He must be in love with you!" Phèlie exclaimed, suddenly for some inexplicable reason beyond happiness. "This is simply wonderful!"

The other maids shot her a look. Sae thought it strange that Phèlie should be so high-spirited when she had previously thought the girl fancied him.

"How so Phélie?" Alesia almost snapped. "Sae is here for Prince Sevastian, not Roderick, remember?"

Phèlie turned bright red and said in a small voice, "Well…love _is_ a beautiful thing, no matter who it is that falls in love with whom."

"That may be so," Alesia countered, "but who ever heard of him being in love with…_anyone_?"

"He certainly is a lone individual." Beda agreed curtly. "He has his cousins for friends though he is a man of solitude. This is a perplexing matter…I wonder what the Queen would make of this…"

Sae felt a fresh wave of panic. "No! Please. You mustn't say a word! I am here for the Prince, not the Royal Advisor! If the Queen finds out I'll be asked to leave, I know it, and Sevastian will…"

She had meant to say, "and Sevastian will not be mine," though Roderick's words the night before made her think twice. She had already acknowledged that she didn't really want the prince. Just what she did want at the moment seemed very fuzzy to her.

"Just please…be quiet about this whole affair." Sae implored.

"For your sake I will." Phèlie said at once, the other two consenting with nods.

"Good, thank you. Now, please help me out of these clothes. I'm feeling frantic and I think a cold bath is just what I need to relax."

Though the bath was soothing on her nerves Sae was nevertheless still fretful over this new development. Again and again she told herself that love was not something procured by a simple kiss. Love was what she saw between her father and her stepmother; quiet yet always there in the background like an assuring presence. They did not flaunt their love, and it had been enough years so that they no longer became significantly affected by the other's sudden presence, and yet, Count Arland's eyes still seemed to soften at the mention or sight of his wife, and Lady Kiva still subconsciously would touch him, usually by taking his arm, every time he entered the room she was in. The air between them told Sae what love was, since she couldn't see it and she was sure she'd never feel it.

What she was feeling now wasn't love. Sure, during those days when Roderick had coached her she had come to appreciate and admire him more than her original estimations. Long ago she had stopped considering his quiet nature as unattractive. It suited him, and in turn it suited her well for she was never one to talk much herself. Perhaps he wasn't as lively as he could be, but it certainly was a welcome break for her from Lisario's over friendliness. He certainly was intelligent, and intelligence Sae held in high opinion. Though she denied that appearance influenced her in the least, Roderick certainly looked as dazzling last night at the ball as his two cousins. Normally he had such a serious expression across his fine features it was difficult for her to associate it with appealing, and yet she had to admit his face was of clean symmetry, and though he was not as tall as Sir Lisario he certainly matched his highness Prince Sevastian in height. What got to Sae more than intelligence and looks and personality though was that kiss. Physically it excited every bone in her body, woke up dormant nerves, and sparked electricity in her veins. She had never experienced such a feeling, and it continued to linger in the fringes of her memory. She even suspected her recollection was embellished and perhaps she was remembering more than she had really felt.

Yes, that was exactly what was happening, she argued. Her silly imagination, the one she had prided herself on being able to control, was running away with this terrible misfortune and using it against her poor heart. Well, she wouldn't stand for it a second longer.

That morning she went out for her usual ride, chastising herself for being so alert as she walked down the halls of the palace and out into the fields. It wasn't as if _he_ would be around anyway. He was always holed up in his study, after all.

Down in the stables Condor was brushing Ivy's mane in preparation of Sae's arrival. Both Prince Sevastian and Prince Fabian were out on their horses talking by the gate. On seeing Sae, Prince Sevastian stopped mid-sentence and turned to smile at her. Fabian glanced back, and realizing it was Sae, gave her a quick nod and took this as an to commence his ride. He left his brother at the gate and rode off into the wilderness edging into the fields. Sevastian turned his horse toward Sae and rode out to meet her on her journey toward the stables. They met in front of Condor and Ivy.

"And how is this fair day treating you Sae?" Sevastian asked gallantly, dismounting from his horse and coming to stand courteously before her.

"It is all right with me. And you, your highness?" She asked politely.

He smiled broadly. "I'm feeling positively vibrant this morning, though I must admit your calling me _highness_ just now has put me off a bit. After all this time of calling me Sevastian, was it just a slip of the tongue?"

Sae admitted it was. For some reason she felt a tinge of guilt in seeing him and could no longer bring herself to be so familiar. Not when her eyes had been opened and she knew that in a way she was doing him an injustice. It wasn't fair to Sevastian that she should marry him when she knew she would never want nor love him truly. Sevastian had told her himself that he was looking for someone to love and be loved in return. What kind of monster masquerading as a lady was she?

"I am sorry…Sevastian, I am just a little tired. I must not be thinking properly. So, shall we be off on our ride now?"

She didn't have it in her heart to go riding with him but she knew that she must regardless. She caught Condor's eye and was surprised by the look he was giving her, as if he was seeing something to make him worry.

"Perhaps his highness could take a couple rides around the field for a few moments. I must show Lady Sae a new development with her mare and the mare's accommodations," Condor said pointedly. "If you would be so kind as to spare her, that is."

If Prince Sevastian was wise to Condor's thoughts he kept it hidden under that obliviously obliging smile of his. He nodded and said, "I'll just give Taranight a chance to stretch his four legs out in the field. We won't wander off too far Sae."

"Yes, thank you." Sae nodded in consent and the Prince left.

"How are you Condor?" Sae asked quietly.

"I am alright, and how are you Sae?"

"Fine, fine. Was there any reason why you wanted to talk to me without his highness being around?"

Condor smiled faintly. "Actually there was. I noticed you are oddly restrained with him this morning. I was under the impression that your plan was to reel him into your trap of love, though I suppose being standoffish may give him the incentive for the chase."

"I…Condor it isn't exactly a matter of reeling him into a trap; you make it sound as though I were trying scheming against him." Though of course she knew that was exactly what she had been doing.

"Well, aren't all ladies' attempts at capturing a man a crafty act? There isn't much innocence involved in plotting to make a man fall in love with you. Love is, after all, a spell most men view as a deadly trap, that is, until they actually fall into its clutches. Then they are struck with a blissful madness. It can even be tormenting if the love is not returned."

The remark stung a bit, as if he knew Sae couldn't love the Prince. Still, she put that aside for the moment and replied, "that is quite a cynical view on love you have Condor. Do you mean to tell me you personally hold this view or that this is what other men have told you?"

"I have heard other men's views on the subject, and excluding romantics like your Sevastian Sae I must tell you that most I've heard is similar to what I say. Though the words I used were an expression of my own views I assure you. Still, you are young and not wholly aware of what you are doing I suppose."

"Now you sound like an old man. You are not that much older than me Condor, and I am sure you are younger than Sevastian. For such a gentle stable boy with the kindness to always listen to me, I am surprised to now hear your true views on love."

Condor stopped brushing Ivy and let his hand drop to his side. Turning to Sae he answered in his soft voice, "I would hate for you to think I were bitter Sae, but I speak as a man who has loved, nay, who _still_ loves something forbidden to him. I've learned to accept the fact, as I said I hold no bitterness. It is just from experience that I have come to think of love as a sort of torture."

"The sweetest torture known to man, I think is what they call it." Sae nodded. "But I did not know you yourself were thwarted in love. I suppose as a stable boy your options are limited."

"As limited as I would be should I have been born a Prince," He said wryly. "Though I do not mean to dissuade you by those words, after all, you are eligible for the Prince and need not fear that. Only, the girl _I _love I cannot have."

Sae was curious. All this time she had spent talking with him and asking him for advice, and not once had he mentioned any of this. Could it be Phèlie? Weren't they childhood friends? He was probably only three or four years older then Phèlie anyway, so it would make sense that they should grow up together in the palace and feelings may have resulted from it.

"I have poured my thoughts out to you and you've given me your ear. I think it only fair I should now offer you mine. That is," she added, "if you want to talk about it. I would never dream of forcing a confidence out of you."

"Thank you Sae, however I am not accustomed to telling others of my problems. I don't know what possessed me to tell you anything just now to be honest. Knowing that you are willing to listen should I feel the need to speak will keep me happy."

She couldn't deny being disappointed. She had hoped to know once and for all if there was something going on between Condor and Phèlie or not, but seeing as he was not willing to confide in her, or anyone else according to him, she supposed she'd just have to make due with what she knew at present.

"Now, are you ready to dazzle the prince?" He asked, taking Ivy by the reigns and offering them to Sae.

"I…don't know to be honest. I still think that it would be wise of me to continue on this path though my heart is not in it."

"So you've come to terms with your feelings for Sevastian, have you?" Condor's strange smile made Sae feel as though he knew more than he was letting on.

"I…I have come to terms with the fact that I do not love the Prince. However, I still think I should marry him, if I can. Am I horrible for thinking so?"

"Not at all," Condor reasoned with a thoughtful frown. "In this day and age a lady needs to know she'll have a secure home always. You cannot forever depend on your father. As a lady in society it is your job to find a good husband and carve a new niche out for yourself. Wanting to start a life with his highness is most natural for a girl in your state. Whether you love him now or not is regardless, it would still be a sufficient match."

"You know, for a stable boy you sure do know a thing or two about high society." Sae laughed. "I guess we must all seem ridiculous to the common folk. You all have such freedom to marry where I do not."

Condor shook his head. "I thought I had just told you that I do not have that freedom. Where you have freedom to choose from those in your class, as a peasant I am even more limited. If I can even afford marriage, then I must marry a girl that will give me an advantage. I could not afford to marry a poor girl, and yet my class is too low to marry a rich one."

"Then you shall not marry at all." It was more of a statement than a question.

"Let me help you mount your horse." It was all the reply she was to expect from him.

As Sae steered her horse towards the Prince out in the fields, Condor called out to her retreating form. "Be true to your heart no matter what Sae. You do not love the Prince, but if you have feelings for _another_ then don't suppress your heart or it will take revenge on your sensitive soul."

Something about his words made her uneasy. Condor was just a stable boy and yet…she was beginning to think maybe he knew more then he ought. Did the servants know everything? Or was there something else going on here that she couldn't yet grasp? In any case Sae met with the Prince out in the fields and they had their morning ride together, both of them quite aware of the fact that things had somehow changed.

For better or worse—Sae couldn't make up her mind on the matter—the next couple of days passed without her seeing anything of Roderick. She even suspected that perhaps he had fled the palace. If she hadn't been tied down to it by the tasks she certainly would have fled it that very night of the incident. That was what she now referred to it as in her head. Her maids tactfully avoided bringing it up and no one else knew of it. Still, there were reminders of his existence all over the palace. All someone had to do was say his name and she'd find her face going red, her mind instantly transported back to the night she had last seen him.

She had even run into Con and Wit in the conservatory, his conniving little siblings who were setting a trap for some unsuspecting person (it could have very well been for her she ironically reasoned), and even their presence made her aware of the connection they had with their older brother. Though her maids tried their best to keep both her mind and body physically busy and entertained during those days of relaxation in the Palace they could still not prevent the frequent spells of sighing and moping Sae subconsciously would find herself in. If her imagination were left to itself for a few moments then she'd be drifting off on thoughts that made her giddy and sad in turn. Of course she scolded herself afterwards, which only caused her to fret all the more, and her lady's maids knew not what to do.

Mayah even came one evening to ask her what was the matter. Not being able to refuse Mayah's mother-like approach, Sae admitted the full extent of her folly with the Prince and the outcome with the Royal Advisor. Mayah did look surprised but not wholly so worried as her maids did, as if the experience of being years older told her something more about the situation.

"I think things will turn out for the best," Mayah assured her, pulling Sae's bed sheets more securely around her. "So try your best not to lose sleep over it."

It almost unnerved Sae how Mayah's eyes twinkled and a smile played about her mouth, as if she found the whole thing amusing.

"Mayah you aren't happy about this, are you? You do think I'm good enough for his highness, don't you?"

Mayah's smile deepened. "Yes, I think you two are a well formed match, maybe even more than you do. This is just a little blip in your endeavours; don't let it take away your focus Sae."

But of course it had. Five days had passed and Sae wasn't sure what to think. Prince Sevastian wasn't helping matters. He still asked for her evening walks and rode with her in the mornings, and though she valued his company and saw it as a great chance to further her chances, she did it half-heartedly. The more time she spent with him the guiltier she felt about it. The Prince was becoming a sort of punishment for her to be with, though he was a very pleasant man. She just couldn't enjoy herself knowing what her true motives were and with Roderick's words replaying in her mind. She didn't really want him, so what was she doing deceiving him.

When Sae woke up the morning she knew she would see _him_, she was ready. Unless he had really fled the palace she didn't see much chance of not seeing him that day. It was time for her to be informed about the fourth test. That was the one saving grace about this whole ordeal. She had been so preoccupied with thoughts of him and thoughts about what she was doing that she had almost forgotten that this was the fourth task, the one that knocked away half of the previous contenders and left only one standing. One who would only go on to fail in the fifth task. She was both burning and dreading to know what it was.

She wasn't surprised when Gallagher found her in his usual huff that afternoon. She and her lady's maids were in the music room. Being servants, Sae's three maids were not educated in the ways of music, though they liked to listen to her play the harp. They even persuaded her to play for them on the piano though she protested that she was far from the musical genius her sister Mealina was.

"The Royal Advisor is ready to see you in his study," Gallagher told her at entrance of the music room. "You are to report to him now—that is, if you please." Though by his tone she could tell at once she didn't have a choice.

"Thank you Gallagher," she replied, though in vain for he had already left.

"I'll never understand why that young man is so tightly wound." Beda said with pursed lips.

The other two maids were looking restlessly at Sae. They knew what this meant for her. As much as they had evaded the topic, they still remembered what she had told them.

"Well, good luck Sae!" Phèlie said with a burst of excitement she could not quite contain.

Beda and Alesia looked at her darkly as if warning her to keep quiet.

"You better get going," Alesia said a moment later. "He'll be waiting…"

"Right, well, see you all in a few minutes. I suppose you will all still be here?"

"Yes, we'll wait for you here." Alesia nodded.

The trip to his study alone felt like she were walking to her death sentence. What would he say exactly? Could she even face him after what had happened? In any case what she would soon find was that it wouldn't matter, for instead of getting what she was expecting from him—and a climatic scene good or bad was what she pictured—she would find perfect indifference.

His personal room covered with shelves of books felt familiar to her before she even entered it. The very act of reaching the oak door flooded her with memories of her time in there with him; how long ago it felt from then to now! She knocked polity and he told her to come in. She was not surprised to see him sitting behind his desk and yet she still couldn't stop the deep intake of breath that her body seemed to demand of her. Seeing him after all those days was as awkward as she had imagined it to be, and maybe even more. For his part Roderick was calmly writing his scrawl upon a paper and hardly glanced up to acknowledge her. For some inexplicable reason this stung her hard. It was as if…but no surely it couldn't be, he couldn't have _forgotten_ about it.

"Ah, Lady Sae, please sit down." He said in his sombre tones.

The last time he had said her name that fateful night, he had slipped up and simply called her _Sae_. Even remembering it made her shiver, and yet she had been sort of hoping he would be calling her that from now on. She was sad to note this was not to be the case. Regardless, she took the seat across from him at his desk.

"As you know," He began, putting his writing tool down and suddenly looking her squarely in the eyes, "it is time for you to be informed about your next test, the fourth task."

And one of the hardest ones it was, at least according to the statistics of the previous contenders.

"The fourth task," Roderick went on, "tests your awareness of the subjects of Fu Naru and your ability to really assist them in their needs. Hence this task judges you on how well you really know the people of this kingdom. You will be spending a day in a village boarding the palace grounds and it will be your job to labour with the farmers and their families during the harvest. To pass this test you must successfully prove you have toiled away the day in earnest. Expect that you shall be asked questions upon your return to the palace and your answers will be what you are judged on."

So the fourth task was to be labour, Sae thought. Living the life of a commoner, a farmer for the day and thus learning more about the people. There were many farmers in the neighbourhood she lived in, and yet _she_ had never contributed to the harvest; she scarcely knew how to go about it. She supposed it would have to do with the collection of wheat and vegetables grown…wouldn't it?

When Roderick assessed she had been told enough he dismissed her with, "that is all you need to know, so you may go. Though let me just add…"

And here was the moment she had been waiting for.

"May I suggest you choose wisely in picking a helper? This task is not to be taken lightly, as demonstrated by the previous contenders."

Clearly he was done talking though she did not get up.

"What, is that all then?" She asked after an uncomfortable silence stretched on.

Roderick looked surprised but it was only skin deep. "What, was there something else I needed to add?"

"Well, yes." Sae protested, feeling more and more embarrassed by the second. "This is the first time we have spoken to one and other since—"

"Since a night I think we should both forget." He finished for her. "Let me take this moment to apologize then Lady Sae. My actions that night were inexcusable and I can hardly expect to have your forgiveness. If you would only promise me to try and forget it, I shall never do anything so bold and reckless again. It was a mistake on my part I care not to repeat."

It was in that moment Sae came to believe that while the past days had been tormenting her, Roderick seemed to have not given it a second thought. Clearly he did regret it, but his indifference also seemed to say he had not dwelled upon it like she had, had not been affected by it like she had. Here she was fretting about him against her own sensibleness, and he could care less. The pain she felt at that moment was indefinable. If she took silly sayings literally she would have sworn she had felt her heart break. Regardless of the idiom she was certain of one thing; her heart definitely felt like it was bleeding and she needed to seek the help of someone who could make it stop.

In a manner which she knew not how, Sae managed to get up and leave his study. He hardly gave her a second glance as she left and with each passing second her feet felt heavier and heavier, making it harder and harder for her to walk out. But leave she did. Just like that he had asked her to forget, forget what she wasn't able to get out of her mind after days of struggle. She felt like an intruding bug being squashed against a leaf by a palace gardener. He was squashing her and her feelings, both which must seem insignificant to him, she now wagered. And how stupid her feelings truly were, she argued with herself. _She_ have feelings for _him_? It was ludicrous, preposterous! How could she ever have thought such a thing?

Now was not the time for tears, she sternly told herself as the treacherous droplets formed in her eyes. Now was the time to capture her prince once and for all. Seduction had led her to this horrible circumstance, and she had learned a hard lesson by it. Sevastian would be hers, and not by some dirty trick either. She would put her mind to these tasks and claim the future king as her husband, simple as that. Forget the Royal Advisor and his intense blue eyes, and his commanding, demanding hands and lips. She needed to concentrate on defeating the ominous fourth task. Walking back to the music room to meet with her maids, Sae decided on the perfect man to help her.


	11. Part Two: 4

**Part Two**

* * *

Though he didn't seem too enthusiastic about it, it was not in Condor's nature to say no and disappoint a lady in need, and so in the end he agreed most readily to be her man for the fourth task.

"I still don't fully understand why you would pick me Sae." He admitted once they agreed upon it.

"Well, if this is to be a test of knowing the people, I thought who better to help me know them then someone who is counted among them. As a stable boy, I thought you would be well acquainted with manual labour."

A small amused smile graced Condor's face. "That I am indeed."

"Besides," Sae went on, "who else would be better fitted to help me here? My lady's maids, who serve inside the palace? No, I need someone who works in the palace fields, and you are really the only person I converse with who does."

"Well, that could be seen as your own error for not taking the trouble of getting to know more of the palace inhabitants," Condor mused. "However, previous ladies before you little troubled themselves to be acquainted with the servants, naturally so, and since there are no guests at the palace save yourself, I suppose your choice would be limited."

"That is something I have wondered about," Sae admitted. "I've always found it strange, when comparing our kingdom to others, that our royalty hardly invites guests outside their own family to stay at the palace, and when they do it is usually just a person or two. Ever since the Queen constituted these tasks for ladies near and far to try their hand, I believe Fu Naru palace has housed each contender as a guest on their own, as I am now."

"Well," said Condor after a pause, "there is truth in that certainly. However, your last task was a ball, so you mustn't think the royalty of our kingdom shuns society. Maybe, Sae, there is a reason why both in present and in past so few guests have lodged at the palace, and maybe you are onto something you can not yet grasp, but I shall leave that for you to discover on your own."

His teasing smile did not altogether suit his soft voice, but it did its job in sparking Sae's curiosity, and had not he changed the subject soon after, she may have pursued that road which he so strangely introduced.

Being trained previously by the palace's Royal Advisor and a loyal knight to the king, Sae was unsure of what to expect from the stable boy. Certainly at this point in time she felt closest and most comfortable with Condor compared to the other two, and this put her mind more at ease as to the idea of him preparing her for the fourth task. She could not imagine the stable boy a tyrant trainer.

Sae soon found that she had made a wise decision in choosing Condor. Not only did he seem the most down-to-earth inhabitant of the palace and perfect for understanding the common folk, much as she expected of him, but he had another quality about him she had known all along, only coming to realize then how important it would be for her in this challenge. Condor himself pointed it out to her.

"Though I've never been asked to be anyone's assistant for a task before, I have heard about the previous ladies and how each of them messed up, and I can tell you it wasn't the labour that caused them to fail."

This piece of news perplexed Sae. If the task involved her working with the people, then how could that not be the deciding factor on if she lost or not.

Condor gestured with his hand for her to sit down on the stone bench behind her. They were standing on a pebbled lane that winded through an apple-tree field, a very popular palace grounds walkway. Sae had been surprised he had brought her here to train instead of an open wheat field or even the stables. Manual labour was what she had thought she would be taught. Regardless, she trusted him, and sat down. He took a place beside her with respectable distance.

"The ladies who failed didn't _do_ something wrong Sae, they failed at _not_ _doing_ something, and in the end it came down to what they were supposed to _say_."

"Are you talking in ambiguities on purpose Condor, or do you want me to actually understand you?"

He grinned, though his grin was meek. "Anyone can teach you how to put your all in helping those people with harvest, whether you are strong enough to be a real help or simply add to the greater effort. You are not really being judged by how substantively you help them. You are being judged on how well you know them."

"Yes, I know that." Sae responded. "It's about me spending the day with them and getting to know them."

"Yes, and there are two ways you'll be doing that. The first of course is more obvious." He stated. "By labouring along side them you get a better idea of their lives and what they do for a living. That I would expect you to already know."

"Yes, I got that connection." Sae nodded.

"Something less obvious though is that when you are working with them, you should be talking with them. Man is a social being, and it is in interacting with others that we come to know and better understand ourselves."

"I…have never thought of it like that before." Sae remarked after a moment.

"This is important. This is where the other girls failed. You have to _listen_ Sae, really listen to what these people tell you about themselves. They will talk about their lives, their families, their troubles even their dreams if you are open to them. People love to talk if you give them the chance free of judgement. When it comes time for the Queen to ask you questions, they will be questions you can only answer if you've listened to these people."

"So I have to converse and listen to them." Sae repeated to herself.

"But I warn you, if you aren't really interested in what they are saying you won't remember half of it. I have no doubt that if you opened your heart up to these people you would find enough to be interested in, and that's the mark of a good ruler. So genuinely try to understand and hear these people, and I don't think you will fail this task."

As thoughts about the task were formulating in her head Sae thanked him for his advice, adding, "For a stable boy you have a philosophical view on human nature. I wonder how advanced your thinking would be were you born privileged enough to be well read."

Condor reddened in embarrassment. "I have been taught to read, but my books have been limited; I would have probably been a great reader given the chance. However, I find you can study humanity best by simply observing it with your own senses."

"In any case I am glad I chose you for assistance. I was thinking of choosing Sir Lisario again and yet I did not think he would be suited for this task as much as you. Thinking of him now is funny."

"What is funny?" Condor asked.

"Oh, I don't know exactly. I just had his appearance in my mind and looking at you I thought it was kind of an odd coincidence you both have such similar coloured hair and eyes. I don't suppose you two are related in any way? I mean, I know Sir Lisario has the hazel honey eyes so well connected to Fu Naru reputation but I don't suppose you are related to the royal family as well?"

Condor looked stunned by her observation but negated her claim, assuring her that hazel eyes were common enough in Fu Naru, and a stable boy was hardly a profession a cousin to royalty would willingly accept.

However, Sae speculated that Condor couldn't completely detach himself from the family in question. She was suspicious that he and Prince Sevastian shared some sort of secret confidence. More than once she had caught of two of them standing together, speaking in low voices in a manner that seemed to advocate secrecy. The Prince still came for his regular morning rides with her, though sometimes she would find he was already there with Condor, both of them immediately stopping their conversation when she came. Perhaps she wouldn't be so curious had she not also come upon them whispering during her training time with the stable boy. Though they acted ordinary around her, in spite of that she was still dubious.

As far as preparations went, Condor seemed to make a decent assistant. Manual labour was included in his training and Sae was taught how to properly harvest wheat, spending a day with the palace servants who were gathering for the harvest. She also took a leaf out of Condor's book and made the effort to listen to everyone around her carefully, show and genuinely feel more interest in what they were saying, and from that better understand them. Her maids were taken aback when she asked them about their personal lives. Phélie seemed delighted to go on and on about her life though Alesia seemed unexpectedly reclusive, more so than even Beda. Sae supposed everyone carried a secret or two of their own, though she was beginning to feel as if Fu Naru Palace was chock-full of them.

There was a lot about Alesia that Sae wagered she didn't know. In her first weeks at the palace Sae had hardly seen any of her three ladies without the other two in faithful accompaniment. As time progressed however she began to notice there were times when Alesia went off on her own, usually outdoors. Beda and Phélie always claimed that she was out in the gardens, or quite possibly one of the many fields. Alesia, Sae came to find, was a lover of nature and the outdoors. Now Beda always gave off the air of wanting some time alone, and yet there she always appeared before Sae, accompanied at least by one of the other two. Phélie was known for running off on occasion to visit and talk with one of her many servant friends, most of them she had grown up, or—one could argue because of her delicate age and lively, almost naive disposition—was _still_ growing up with.

Along with being a good assistant for the next task, Condor was proving more and more to be a good listener. Sae was still feeling the bitter effect of the stinging arrow Roderick had shot her way, and though she had not brought herself to completely relate it all to him, Condor was beginning to get a better and better picture of what was going on.

Sae had gone so far one day, as she was tying up a bundle of wheat with her slow soft hands, trying to match Condor more deft movements, to ask "just out of curiosity, what kind of woman would the Royal Advisor be attracted to?"

Condor deliberately took his time answering, mocking deep thought and then answering. "Well now, though I can't really put into words what she would look like, or how she'd act, or think and feel, I do believe if you imagine someone the complete opposite of you, it would be a fairly clear description."

"I think I would toss this bundle of wheat at you if it weren't a waste of a good natural resource for our country." Sae grumbled.

Condor laughed softly. "There you go Sae, already thinking like an economical villager who needs to use every bit of stock they have. I think you'll do just fine on this task."

Whether she was truly ready or not, the day came when her skills were to be put to the test. At the crack of dawn, for this was when the farmers were out doing their morning chores, Sae found herself sitting in a beautiful pearly gold-lined carriage with silk interior and enough cushions to make her feel as if she were on a cloud. This definitely wasn't the way she should be treated on a day when she would be expected to do hard labour, but she supposed all the castle carriages were like this, never having ridden in one before. Her father's carriages were decidedly less grand. She'd have to block out this comfort and get ready to work.

The village at the edge of the palace grounds was a far ride away. The palace itself was so secluded that she wondered how vast the fields and forests surrounding it were. Within two hours Sae was stepping out of her carriage and onto the dry dirt path bordered by farmlands. The carriage had stopped at a fork in the road in which one path led towards the market place, the other one to all the village homes and fields. In the distance Sae could see people in the fields working. Behind her carriage the Queen's carriage came to a stop. Prince Sevastian, Roderick, and Sae's helper for this task, Condor, all rode on horses further behind.

"We walk from here on." Roderick said, dismounting his horse. "The path to the farmlands is not suitable for carriage use, and it's better to present ourselves on foot anyway."

The other two men dismounted their horses and the coachmen helped Sae and the Queen out of their carriages. As custom would have it Sae was accompanied by her lady's maids, who all got out of another carriage after her and took in the familiar farmland scenery. Two of the Queen's attendants fussed about her ladyship, making sure her highness' garb was impeccable. Her third attendant, Mayah, slipped graciously out of the carriage after everyone else and came to stand next to her Queen. The two of them exchanged a look of silent communications, and then her highness turned toward Sae and said, "Well dear, are you ready?"

Not trusting herself to talk so early in the morning, feeling as anxious as she did, Sae nodded and turned toward the path intended for her. With her maids walking behind her, she led the procession down into the farmlands. Condor soon made his way to the front to walk just behind her, pulling his horse by the reigns.

"I know we had to abandon the carriages, but I don't see why you and his highness and the royal advisor cannot keep riding on your horses." Sae remarked when she noticed him.

"What kind of men would we be if we rode while all the ladies walked?" Condor replied gallantly for a stable boy.

The journey on foot did not take them long. A quarter of an hour took them to the field where Sae was expected. A farmer, his wife, and three of their four children were out in the fields collecting wheat and managing the reaper harnessed to a work horse.

At the approach of the royal procession the family stopped what they were doing and came to meet them. Everyone met at the edge of the fields, a worn down fence separating the two terrains.

"Milords an' ladies," The farmer began. "I thank ye an' welcome ye to my lands again."

"Farmer Davenboard, madam Davenboard" Prince Sevastian smiled broadly. "It is a pleasure to be on your lands once again. May I introduce to you our contender today? Lady Sae."

Sae stepped forward at the sound of her name_, like a trained bird_, she oddly thought, but regardless smiled and made introductions with the farmer and his wife.

"An' these are our brood," The farmer's wife motioned to her children. "Jase our oldest, an' Beth an' Fanny. Our fourth tot Ian is within doors; he's still a babe."

"It is nice to meet all of you." Sae smiled politely.

"The Davenboards have been very loyal and hardworking subjects of Fu Naru for generations." Prince Sevastian stated. "They've graciously accepted our request to be a part of the fourth test these past couple of months, and we owe them tremendous gratitude for their kindness."

"Ye offer us free labour, how could I say no?" Farmer Davenboard beamed.

"Indeed," the prince laughed. "And so, shall we begin?"

The Prince looked to Roderick, who looked to the Queen. With her face half concealed by a shell fan, she nodded assent. Her lady's maids went about setting up a special outdoor seating arrangement for the queen. Now everyone would wait until Sae finished helping out with the harvest.

"This way, milady," Madam Davenboard motioned, as the family set out into the fields.

Glancing back at the party which she came with, she caught Condor's eye. He nodded encouragingly at her. Prince Sevastian was standing next to him, saying something she was too far to hear, and her curiosity spiked when they looked away from her and at Roderick, who was talking intently with Mayah. Looking away, she turned and followed the farmers.

o-o-o

The sun was high in the sky and it was well past noon by the time Sae was done. Of course the harvesting in itself was not complete. The family had begun well before the noblemen had arrived and they would be doing it until the early evening, as it was a big job for four people. Sae's task was merely to help out, not stay for the entire occasion, and the truth of course was that the Queen could barely stand the boredom of being there much longer, not to mention the sun beating down on everyone. So, it was decided just after noon that her job was done.

"How do you feel?" Condor asked when she came out of the fields and approached her companions.

"A little worn out, to be quite honest." She sighed.

"Well, that is good; you've toiled away the day in labour. I just hoped you've spent it speaking with your fellow labourers as well."

"As best as I could, I followed your advice."

"Lady Sae," Roderick called to her. "The Queen requests your presence now to answer a few questions."

Condor took a step back and gestured for her to go. She came to where the Queen was in her outdoor seating arrangement, Prince Sevastian standing on one side, Roderick on her other. Mayah, Sae's ladies-in-waiting, and the Queen's all stood a respectable distance back.

"Now Lady Sae, you will humour me and answer a few enquiries that must be asked before I decide if you have passed this task or not."

As this was not a question, Sae felt she didn't need to respond. Queen Ryona thus commenced:

"Let us begin with some of the easier questions, shall we Roderick?"

Roderick gave a curt nod from her side, cleared his throat and focused on Sae. "Can you tell me the names of all the farmer's children Lady Sae?"

Sae took a deep breath and answered. "Jase, Beth, Fanny and Ian."

"Yes, that's correct. Can you tell me their ages Sae?"

Sae blinked, then looked off to the fields as if trying to dig up some short-term memories.

_Jase, you're quite strong, lifting that much at a time. _

_ Ah yes, milady, our Jase here is very strong, like his pap, an' he's only eleven. _

_ Really? I thought you were older, you are quite tall. I have twin brothers who are twelve, and they are not nearly as big as you are. _

_ Well, I do drink a lot of milk Lady Sae, an' I suppose it runs in the family. My sister Beth here is nine an' she's almost as tall as my ma._

_It's true milady, my daughter here is almost as tall as me as ye can see, an' Fanny here is six an' growing fast too. _

"Jase is their eldest at eleven. Beth is nine and Fanny is six. As for Ian…"

_I suppose I'll have to run in soon an' see how my little Ian is doing. I have my own ma looking after him in there, he's such a wee thing, not yet one_.

"Ian is under a year old." She finished after a pause.

"Correct." Roderick said. "Now, tell me, for how many generations have the Davenboards been living on their land?"

_It was my great great great….seven generations back anyway, grandfather who started all this ye know. Migrated east to Fu Naru and found it quite peaceful here_.

"They go back seven generations."

"Correct. Who are the Davenboard's good friends and neighbours?"

_I heard it from Bret Tilley that they won't be doing their harvest 'til tomorrow week, but I told his wife Sari, I told her they had better get it done before a rainstorm hits us. If it gets bad though Farmer Sadler an' I will be lending our hands in aid of course_. _Here milady, grip the scythe this way._

"They are good friends and neighbours to the Sadlers and Tilleys."

A small smile began to form on Roderick's face. "What do they do with their wheat?"

_Ye would be surprised how little of this we keep for ourselves. Most of it goes to the village market place, quite a bustling place, ye must visit it sometime milady if ye want a real feel of the commoner life._

"A little bit is kept for themselves; the main bulk of it is sold at the local village."

"Is it their main source of income?"

"Yes and no, they also sell a substantial amount of food gathered from their vegetable fields, especially carrots and potatoes."

"Good." Roderick said, his smile now very apparent and encouraging, which astonished Sae greatly. "Can you tell me how many horses they have at their disposal?"

Sae had to think about that one for a moment. She vaguely remembered farmer Davenboard saying something about his horses. "I believe they have two of them; one for working the fields, and one for travelling and pulling their wagon."

"Yes, and that is the average number of horses our farmers tend to have in Fu Naru, a very important thing to know when ruling a country which feeds on the food provided by its farmers. Now, I think this will be the final question?" He said, glancing over to the Queen.

She gave him a questioning glance but nodded her head and said, "If you think that is all that is necessary, then I will not argue it."

"I think it is all that is necessary, yes." Roderick said firmly. "Now Lady Sae, can you tell me what the Davenboard's plan on having for dinner tonight?"

Sae almost laughed. With all the other questions, she could see how they were important, how they connected to statistics that concerned Fu Naru. The ones about the children, for example, showed her that farmers were having less children than they used to; she remembered hearing of when families were as big as twelve children, but she supposed it varied country to country. Asking about dinner however, she could see no relevant connection.

"I believe Madam Davenboard mentioned roasted goose and cabbage."

"Yes, a very common meal for commoners of our lands." Roderick nodded.

"Really? I thought goose was a noble dish."

"In some countries yes, but Fu Naru is abundant and rich enough that even its commoners can afford decent eating." Prince Sevastian interjected proudly.

Sae realized how even a question like this could tell her a lot about the subjects of Fu Naru. Then it hit her. She had just successfully completed task four.

On cue, Queen Ryona got up from her seat and said, "You've passed the test Lady Sae, and now we may all go back."

The lady's maids moved quickly to attend the Queen back in her carriage. Roderick and Sevastian walked back to their horses and Condor approached Sae before her lady's maids got to her.

"You did wonderful." He said, full of pride.

"Thank you so much for assisting me, you really were the one who got me to pass this test." Sae left out a sigh of relief. "I'm just happy it's over."

"Yes…earlier than normal. I believe of all the ladies to do this test, you are the first to only get asked eight questions. The standard was ten, though of course all the ladies had gotten at least one wrong by question four, so I suppose the advisor thought eight correct answers were sufficient."

"There were supposed to be ten?" Sae bit her bottom lip in thought. "You once said to me Condor that Roderick had a lot of say in what happens, and I'd be surprised. Well, I think I see what you mean now."


	12. Part Two: 5

**Part Two**

* * *

Though it was Queen Ryona's dire wish to return to the palace, Sae expressed an interest in visiting the village market.

"They spoke so warmly of it, told me it was the centre of common life, and that I really should take a trip down there before I got shut up in the palace walls again."

"The Queen is ready to leave, though I suppose it wouldn't be trouble for a couple of us to stay back with you and give you a tour." Prince Sevastian frowned. "However, I am needed back at the palace myself to meet with the knights, so I cannot stay."

"If Lady Sae is so set on seeing the village, then I do not mind forfeiting an afternoon of paperwork and accommodating her." Roderick offered. "If Condor stays as well, we should be able to safely escort Lady Sae and her maids."

The Prince conceded. "So then, I shall accompany her highness back to the palace and you men shall stay with the lady and her attendants."

With task four behind her, and the Queen's departure, Sae felt light and free to enjoy her afternoon outside the palace walls. She turned her thoughts to the group she was travelling with. She still remembered the day Condor had told her bitterly that the girl he loved he could not have, and she had suspected it was Phèlie, for they were childhood friends. But Phèlie had a crush on Roderick, or at least according to Alesia…though remembering how excited Phèlie got when she heard that Roderick had kissed Sae, she now doubted that fact as well.

Still, it was interesting to examine them all together as they walked with her. Roderick of course looked completely indifferent to his surroundings, walking down the path; they had left their carriage and horses at the farm since the market was close enough for a pleasant foot journey. Sae's eyes couldn't help but linger on him, the movements of his body as he walked, and she was reminded of his strong arms and the way they had held her against that door…

Shaking her head, she forced herself to look at Condor. He looked suspiciously tense she noted, not speaking to anyone and distancing himself from her lady's maids, as if he didn't want to be reminded of something. All her lady's maids however chatted merrily and didn't seem to notice. Could there really be something going on between him and Phélie?

"And here is the village market Sae," Alesia said, breaking Sae's train of thought.

They stood at the end of the dusty path where it spilled out onto the main cobblestone road. Before them was a bustling place, with pack horses towing carts, small shops with inviting windows, and outdoor stands with cloth roofs. It was a mix of the old and new times.

"Oh, what I would give for some pocket money to spend in that boutique." Phélie gushed, pointing to a ladies' fashion shop.

"Don't be ridiculous, those clothes shall go out of style before you've gotten good use of them." Beda scoffed.

"Besides, it's not as if we could afford them." Alesia added with a sigh.

"Shall we commence with our walk ladies?" Roderick asked, motioning to the road.

"Yes, let us." Condor agreed and they set off.

Sae did not feel right about this arrangement however. It bothered her that her lady's maids could not afford any sort of gowns and the ones Phélie was spying were nothing extravagant; in fact, they were quite common compared to the gowns Sae herself kept. She supposed her custom made outfits would be pricier than a village could offer, but then that was a part of being a noblewoman.

As they travelled down the road, her lady's maids pointing at each shop with added commentary, Condor keeping himself a few paces back and Roderick looking straight ahead, Sae reached into the money pouch she kept discreetly at her side between the folds of her gown, and felt with her hand how many coins she had brought with her. Her father had given her spending money in case she would go to the market for any reason, and it came in handy then. She had enough to buy her lady's maids dresses, nothing expensive, but certainly decent new dresses they could wear when they were not working in their signature faded pastel gowns. However, she doubted the ladies would accept should she offer to take them to the shop. Beda would refuse such an idea and guilt the other two to follow no doubt. Her only choice was to buy the gowns for them first, and then they couldn't possibly refuse.

"Sae? Did you hear what I said?"

She blinked back to reality. Alesia was looking at her curiously, as were her other two maids. Both Condor and Roderick seemed almost resolved to stay out of the conversation, though for different reasons Sae wagered. Whereas Roderick was just naturally a man who kept to himself, she was feeling more and more certain the normally pleasant Condor was on a mission not to interact with them.

"Forgive my inattentiveness Alesia, what have I missed?"

"I simply asked if you'd like to turn left here or keep going straight. To the left I know of some sweet smelling stores, the flower shop and bakery, and straight ahead I know of more places for apparel."

"We've already seen enough clothing through the windows, and I think I would like nothing more than to smell fresh bread." Sae smiled.

"Do you see nothing here to tempt you to buy?" Roderick asked, breaking his silence, as he stood a little ahead of the party.

"It is all pleasant to see, but I must save my money for other things." She answered, as they turned left.

"Quite sensible milady." Beda nodded in approval.

They continued making their way through the market and Sae turned over ideas in her head. How could she purchase dresses for her maids without them knowing? She doubted she would have time to come out here again once she was back at the palace, so this was it.

Letting her pace slow a bit, Sae fell behind her maids and came to match steps with Condor.

"Condor, I need your assistance in something."

"With what Sae?" He asked, clearly surprised at her sudden presence.

"I need to go back to one of those boutiques to purchase a little present for my lady's maids, but I need it to be a surprise." She whispered. "And so, I need a distraction of some sort, so I can slip away for a moment. I'll be right back."

Condor frowned. "I do not think it is a good idea for you to go off on your own, especially in a place you are not familiar with."

"It is such a small market though, nearly impossible to get lost, and it is broad daylight. I think I'll be safe." She assured.

"I still do not think it is a good idea…"

"In any case, I shall do it. Now, follow my lead."

"Perhaps I should go for you. That would probably be the better thing."

"Are you at all familiar with choosing dresses for ladies?"

Condor had the decency to redden a little. "Gracious no."

"Then I think I'll be the one going. Now, as I said, please follow my lead."

Sae moved forward and came to her lady's maids again saying, "I would like to step into one of these shops. That big one over there would do nicely."

Phélie did not look impressed. "Oh Sae, there are better places than that one. It's an overstocked hats and scraps shop."

"Yes, but it does look quite big and I am impressed by its size. I would like to explore and see just how big the store is."

"I've been in that one, it has shelves of fabrics; quite big." Alesia said.

"Then we must see it. Roderick, we'd like to go to that shop there." Sae said, addressing him for the first time.

Glancing to the shop he nodded, "very well, let us all go then."

They walked to the shop in question and all entered. Indeed the high shelves and various fixtures were exactly what Sae needed to make a disappearance. Once inside her lady's maids did just what she had hoped. They scattered throughout the shop not paying her the least attention. Roderick however remained rooted next to the door. She had also anticipated this however. Giving Condor a very meaningful look, she nodded her head once towards the royal advisor. Condor looked over and understood, though she could see by his expression he was still deciding on what to do.

"Do this please," Sae whispered, "and if you do then I will not ask you what's going on with my lady's maids, whom you seem to be quite resolute in ignoring…I haven't forgotten what you've told me about your forbidden love either."

Condor paled visibly at her words. He turned towards Roderick, but not without first muttering something under his breath which Sae thought sounded a lot like _'blackmail_'.

"I think there is something over here that might interest you." Condor said, approaching Roderick.

Roderick gave him a curious look, but followed as he was asked. The moment they disappeared behind a fixture bearing fabrics Sae made her escape. Out of sight, out of mind, she prayed.

Condor was wrong. She knew she couldn't possibly get lost; this market was not big enough and she had an exceptional visual memory.

It didn't take her long to get to the first fashion boutique Phélie had admired through the window.

Inside, the attendant was all smiles. A young woman who's father owned the shop. She was simply delighted when Sae told her she was not looking for one, but three light and airy day gowns. Though they offered custom tailoring, Sae had to admit the dresses were for ladies who she could not bring in to be tailored, but thankfully all ladies were reasonably around the same size, neither plump nor dainty, but rather an average bearing which she was sure would fit with the standard size offered.

"One of them may be a little short for her dress," Sae admitted, "but they are all of them expert sewers, and I know they can hem it themselves."

Now it came time to picking out the right dress for each. For Alesia, she picked out a pale lavender summery gown to accent her red locks. Phélie's golden tresses and deep blue eyes seemed best brought out with a sky-blue dress. As for Beda, Sae thought the flecks of green in her turquoise eyes would shine through with an emerald gown. What Sae didn't realize however, as most ladies her age didn't, was how much time could pass whilst shopping.

The polite shop girl wrapped each dress in velvet and placed the dresses carefully in a beige cloth parcel for Sae to carry. Not the best way to handle dresses; however this was a village market Sae reminded herself.

Stepping back out onto the market's main street Sae was sure she hadn't taken so much time that they would notice her absence. And even if they had realized she wasn't in the store, she was sure they'd just be waiting outside scratching their heads and wondering. Only, on approaching the shop she left them at, she felt the dread build within her when she stepped in and realized they were no longer there. She couldn't have taken that long…

In any case, this market was not big; she would simply keep walking and find them, surely. With each step her uncertainty grew. She was beginning to regret the direction she had taken. The shops were sparse here, there was no longer people crowding the road, and it looked like she was reaching the edge of the market with no sign of her party.

"Eh there luv."

She stopped dead in her tracks. To her right in front of what appeared to be the village tavern, there stood a man with patched clothing, scraggily brown hairs sticking out of his chin, and an unsteady posture.

"I'm sorry, were you addressing me?" Sae said at once and regretted it the second after.

The man took this as permission to approach her. He smelled of someone who had consumed his day's worth of brandy, among other liquids.

"Don't get much of yer folk 'ere." He smiled, and she noticed he was missing a tooth, no doubt from a drunken fight.

She wondered how he knew, for she was dressed in her labour clothes, and had nothing on her that could really tell him of her nobility.

"It's the way ye carry yerself." He added, answering her thoughts.

"Yes well, if you will excuse me…sir, but I must be going." She broke eye contact, unable to look at the man any longer, and turned to leave.

The next moment she was startled by the feeling of a hand gripping her arm from behind.

"There's no hurry 'ere luv." He continued to smile.

When she tried to pull away, he reached for the parcel in her hand, ripping it from her grip and tossing it aside. Overcome with his sudden aggression Sae screamed. The man dropped her arms and shielded his ears, his smile dropping.

"Wha'd ye do that fer?" He yelled.

Her eyes were darting everywhere. There was another man not too far off but he looked as though he wanted to stay out of any sort of confrontation, and besides him there was a couple of children, but they were already walking back into the main part of the market, completely ignoring her scream. Sae wouldn't let herself be a victim however. Leaving her parcel where it lay on the ground, she lifted the skirts of her dress and proceeded to run away. Only the drunkard wasn't finished with her yet.

"Eh no ye don't." He said, lunging at her, and knocking her to the ground in the process.

The second time Sae screamed it was a name. "Roderick!"

Her screams did not go unanswered this time. Just as the drunkard took hold of her shoulder, the man found his own arm seized and practically ripped from its socket. He was torn away from Sae's side and thrown across the road, landing with a heavy thud which brought up dust from the ground, and blacking out in the process.

"Sae, are you alright?" Roderick said, turning his attention to her.

He was at her side immediately, helping her up, retrieving her parcel, then giving her a good look over to make sure she was unharmed. Sae said nothing at first, being in a state of shock. Then when Roderick took her arm, gently so not to scare her, and suggested they make their way back, she broke down into a shocking fit of tears. They stopped walking for a moment, Roderick fumbling with his coat pocket to find his handkerchief for her, and Sae found herself turning to him and using his coat as her handkerchief. Roderick thus entered into a slight state of shock himself. He awkwardly put an arm around her as a means of comfort, but really did not know what he was doing.

Her crying subsided to sniffles and Roderick adjusted her against his arm so they could walk and she could still compose herself against him. At a time like this he knew there were a million things he could say; scold her for going off, for pressuring Condor into helping her, making them all worry. But at the moment he felt like being her hero and not a villain, so instead he looked to the skies and commented on the weather in an attempt to calm her.

"The clouds have surrounded the sky and darkened. It looks like rain will soon follow. We had better get back to the main part of the market soon, or we'll be caught in the fall."

Sae merely nodded and matched his pace. They were within eye sight of the others when the sky cracked open and water began to pour down upon the earth.

Being the gentleman in this situation, Roderick took of his coat and held it over her as a shelter from the rain, as they dashed to the others.

o-o-o

Back at the palace Sae was not in the best of spirits. After giving her a nice warm bath and changing out of their wet clothes, her lady's maids continued to be horrified over her ordeal, particularly as it was for their benefit. When they had noticed she was not in the store, Condor had immediately come forward with the truth that Sae had gone out to run a secret mission and should be back momentarily. However, as time passed and panic ensued, it was then decided they should go in search for her. Condor accompanied the maids, and Roderick went off on his own to find her. The rain soon followed but their worry was more than enough to keep them outside searching for her.

By the time Sae and Roderick met with them, she was calm and quiet, and Roderick asked them to give her peace for now; she had just experienced something quite traumatizing. As they found a temporary shelter to wait out the storm, Sae gradually recovered from her fright and admitted embarrassingly to them what had happened. Condor looked very ashen by the news and blamed himself entirely, stating he should have known better than to let her go off on her own. Sae insisted the fault was hers alone, while her maids all bared the guilt of being the reason she went off in the first place.

"Which is why you must all accept my gifts for you. After all the trouble I've gone through for them, you couldn't possibly say no." She half joked.

The truth was Sae was mortified by her own reactions that day. She had never meant to break down and cry; it had been an appalling end to her assault. She really did not know what that man would have done if Roderick had not saved her. Roderick. She dreaded the idea that she had cried in front of him, no _on_ him, using his bosom as refuge for her tears, and showed any weakness that could make him think less of her. Because she wanted, she _needed_ him to think the world of her. Because she loved him.

It was an agonizing revelation, but once fully realized she could deny it no longer. Her stepmother had been right. Once a woman says she will not love it is indeed a curse onto herself that she will…the only problem here was Sae had fallen in love with the wrong man.

o-o-o

"You have now come as far as our most successful contender, Princess Drelinda. Like you, she passed the first four tasks. However, she failed the fifth. Now Lady Sae, it is time for you to endeavour to succeed where she failed. Are you ready to hear what the fifth task is?"

It was uncharacteristically melodramatic of him to ask, but Sae had her answer ready. "I am."

"Good. Now, the purpose of task five is unmistakable by its title. It is known as the 'Children Rearing Test'. In many countries it is the servants' job to—" _cough cough cough _"—sorry, as I was saying, it is their job to take care of the heirs while the king and queen go about their business, but in Fu Naru the royal family believes in the need for children to be reared by their parents; to be disciplined and be distilled with morals, and understanding of the world. This must come from the parents to make sure they grow up to be righteous heirs and rulers."

Sae nodded with half dread, because the title of task five sounded like it could have double meaning. It was only natural for the kingdom to be concerned about the fertility status of a future queen; still, she did not like the idea of how they would test that out. Instead, she turned her thoughts away from that and hoped Roderick really meant what he was saying.

"So, as always you have five days to prepare for this, and of course a helper to assist you. Though I cannot give too much detail away, I have a feeling most or all of the—" _cough cough cough "_—sorry, most of the children dwelling in the palace may be involved in this, including the royal brats, Cornelia and Whitmark."

"Are you quite alright?"

"Yes, yes, I just have a little bit of a cold from the rainstorm." He sniffed.

For some reason Sae felt her heart flutter at his words. Perhaps it was because this cold was the result of his chivalry to her, when he covered her with his coat and in the process got his unprotected self wet. It had been a sweet gesture, and he received a cold for his troubles. Sae now felt a little guilty.

"Anyway, as I said, the royal brats will be a part of this as well, so you should prepare yourself for anything."

"What, Con and Wit? Aren't they your siblings?"

Roderick gave a small smile that Sae thought looked affectionate.

"Yes, they are my little brother and sister. I have heard from them that you've played a trick on them or two, and quite gotten their attention."

"Yes well, I have twin brothers back home. I know what children can get up to."

"If you have younger siblings then that will certainly help for the test, Lady Sae. Now, that is all I can tell you, so may I suggest you get set to work on selecting an assistant and best of luck as—_cough_—always."

By his tone Sae realized their meeting was over, and though he immediately set to work with the papers spread across his desk, she could not bring herself to get up from her seat across from him.

She had spent the past few days in turbulence because of her feelings. After task four and the ordeal that followed Sae had come to a shocking conclusion, that the budding feelings she had tried to ignore growing within her, had sprouted into full bloom love. She was here to win a place beside the future king, to share the thrown and be his queen. However, all she ended up doing was falling in love with the Royal Advisor and his quiet, subdued manner. He gave off the air of a lone man, someone who would converse friendlily with others, but generally was alone, and liked it that way. Some thought him dull, but Sae thought him deep.

The day after task four, she had gone to see him in his study, and to thank him for saving her. He was as embarrassed as she was over the whole matter, and told her quite plainly he was just grateful she was okay, and made her promise not to do something so rash again. She promised, eyes glistening, hoping he would tell her more of how he was worried for her, but instead he confessed he had a lot of work to do, to make up for the time spent in the village, and so asked her if she would please excuse him. Sae left the room discontented.

During the days that followed, she had barely seen him at all. Once in the hallway passing, she had bumped into him, had tried to speak with him, but he was in a hurry and would not even look her in the eye then. It hurt her to be treated like that, but she had a feeling there was more to the whole situation than she knew. In any case, she had given her feelings a lot of thought, as well as the reasons why she was at the palace, her duty to her father's wishes, and her stepmother's plea for her to come home if it wasn't for her. She wanted to make her father proud, but in the end she knew her stepmother was the one who she should listen to. She may have been doing great with the tasks, but she was not in love with Prince Sevastian, and while this didn't bother her before, now that she had fallen in love she knew she couldn't bear being wed to another.

Which is why she had finally made up her mind on what to do.

"Was there something else you needed Lady Sae?" Roderick asked, looking up from his paperwork.

"Why is it you call me Lady Sae?" She asked, capturing his eyes with the bravest gaze she could muster. "You called me Sae the day you saved me from the drunkard."

"I…yes, and I apologize for the familiarity." He left out a deep sigh. "But I was hoping under the circumstances, it being an emergency, we could overlook that."

"Fine." She responded.

"Good." He looked relieved as he added, "now—"

But she cut him off. "How can you explain the night in the prince's bedchambers? You kissed me then, with a passion I knew not existed."

He broke eye contact immediately, looking frustrated by her words. "Did we not agree to never bring that up again? _Lady Sae_, I apologized for my conduct that night, and I will do so again if it still offends you. I…I know not what possessed me, but you can be assured I will never behave so outlandishly again."

"Is it your job to kiss all the lady contenders, to find out if they are really ladies, or to find out if they are unchaste, or willing to be unfaithful to the Prince?"

"You my lady are ridiculous for even suggesting such an idiotic thing." Roderick said, startling Sae by his dark tone.

"Maybe I am," Sae consented, "but what else would you expect from a woman faced with the uncertainty of love?"

His expression froze like stone. "Uncertainty of…love?"

"What else am I to do, but wonder why a man would embrace me, would kiss me, would save me, then half ignore me in palace halls, treat me as indifferent as he does everyone else, so determined to be alone. If he does not love me, as I've come to love him, then there must be other reasons for the unexplainable things he's done, when I once thought passion overtook him."

"Sae…" He began, dropping his quill and rubbing his face with his hands.

"He must be doing some sort of duty," She continued as if she hadn't heard him. "I've come to wager he must be doing it because it's his job to test the ladies in some way."

"Sae," He repeated, a little more loudly.

"I mean why else would he have lost control like that and kissed me? And when he saved me he comforted me, held me in a way I could never imagine him doing, so soft and gentle, like he cared very much for me." She was speaking more to herself than him at this point.

"Lady Sae," He said a third time, more urgent to interrupt her than ever. "Listen to me please. I have never laid one finger on any of the contenders before you; you can be assured it is not my job to test them out, as you so delicately put it."

"Then why Roderick, why did you do to me what you did?" She almost pleaded.

"I…cannot answer." He said, barely audible.

"I've made up my mind on this anyway." Sae said, feeling the resolve build up inside of her. "I will not be completing the tasks. I could never do that to Prince Sevastian. You were right, I can't love him, especially now that I've come to…I love you Roderick. I would give up my contender position, just so I could be with you, if you would exchange your heart for mine."

Roderick opened his mouth to say something, but he paused, speechless for the first time Sae had ever seen. She took the moment for her advantage. Getting up from her seat, she crossed the distance between them and took hold of his face, lowering herself for he was still sitting, and placing a gentle nudge of a kiss against his lips.

He seemed to accept the kiss at first, absorbing the warmth of her lips, but just as she began to press more firmly, he pulled his face away, looking every bit the deer caught by a hunter's looming arrow.

"You forget yourself," he said, his breath shallow though they had hardly kissed.

"Just as you had forgotten yourself that night not long ago?" She countered.

"Then we are now even, aren't we?" He sighed, looking away, unable to meet her eyes.

"So you have no feelings for me Royal Advisor?" She asked, pain etched behind every word.

Roderick stood up from his seat, walking over to his bookcase, then to the window, glancing out onto the strawberry fields, the sweet fruit which he detested. "It isn't as simple as that. You _have_ to marry the Prince, Sae. You must promise me that you will try and win."

"I do not care anymore about marrying the Prince; you are the one who told me I should think about what I was doing. That I didn't even love him."

"It isn't just about love Sae. I didn't want you to seduce him, to trick him, but winning this contest and marrying him is another thing altogether. He could provide greatly for you; you would be a Queen, have a good life here."

It all sounded a bit too much like what her father had said to her before she left home. At one time she would have agreed whole heartedly with it, however, times had changed. "Maybe, but you could provide for me too Roderick."

"You forget Lady Sae, as the Royal Advisor I am still servant to King Basil. Before you are so ready to jeopardize your position here you must think of my position as well."

"Oh, I see then." Sae said, and dread spread over her with a faint realization.

These were excuses. The real reason was plain to her now. He didn't care for her after all.

"Well, I should be going. You can be assured I will get start on the next task. I thank you for all your help and advice, Royal Advisor."

"Sae…" He began, looking at her from his post at the window, his voice a lot softer than it had been moments before.

"It's Lady Sae, as you've pointed out yourself before." She said briskly, turning and walking out the room without another word.

Walking back to her apartments Sae felt depression wash over her. She had been wrong in supposing he could love her. Maybe he wasn't even attracted to her. Perhaps the night he kissed her he had too much wine during the ball beforehand, and was not completely himself. In any case, she had offered herself to him and he flatly refused. She would be humiliated if she wasn't so heartbroken.

The sound of voices ahead broke her isolation. Turning the corner she came into sight of a strange meeting. Her youngest maid Phélie was conversing with Prince Fabian. It was very odd indeed to see a servant and royalty standing together, talking in secret, but so they were, looking as if they were school chums. Sae supposed that they were around the same age, so it was possible they could have all played together as children, as many a time servant children and royal ones mix in the palace. But as young adults she knew it was rare they kept such ties. Besides, every time she saw the younger Prince, he usually looked more interested in going for a horse ride, or just gallivanting outdoors in general, so she barely saw him conversing with others.

Fabian said something which caused Phélie to laugh. Her laugh was sweet as honey, and Sae was reminded of Condor and his secret forbidden love. Perhaps this was why Condor was so bitter, because it looked as though Phélie flirted with everyone. Though she doubted Condor had much to worry over if it was Prince Fabian he was jealous of. If anyone would be forbidden to court Phélie, it would be the young prince, not the stable boy. Seeing them talking however, Sae felt more sympathy for Condor, thinking it was truly a sad thing, that neither of them could have what they wanted. It was now Sae's turn to have a forbidden love.

She didn't wish to spy on her maid any longer. Turning back round the corner, she opted for another root back to her quarters. When she got to her rooms, she found Mayah changing her curtains.

"I thought these could use with some fresh air and a good beating to get out any dust."

"Yes, thank you Mayah." She smiled sadly, putting on her brave face.

But Mayah was too quick for it. "Is anything wrong Sae darling?"

"It is nothing. I suppose I am just homesick, and worried about the fifth task."

"Well, it just so happens you've received new letters from your family. I left them on the desk in your private study. Why don't you spend the afternoon reading them and answering back. I'm sure that will make you feel better."

"Yes, perhaps that is a good idea," Sae said, making her way to the door which led to her study.

Mayah really knew how to comfort her, like a mother calming her upset child. Even her voiced soothed Sae. Sae paused at the door.

Turning back to Mayah she said, "You know, I haven't picked my assistant for the next task yet. I need someone who can school me in the art of handling children."

"Yes, the 'Children Rearing Test', a very challenging one." Mayah nodded, folding up the curtains in her arms.

"I can't think of a better person to help me than you, Mayah."

Mayah continued about her work, but Sae could see a slight smile forming on her face. "You don't say? Well Sae, if you designate me as such, I would be more than happy to help you with this."

"Wonderful."


	13. Part Two: 6

**Part Two**

* * *

Mayah turned out to be just the person Sae needed during those next couple of days. Not only could the maid show Sae the ropes in handling children, she also took Sae's mind away from troubling matters. There was a village not too far from the palace which Mayah visited once a week, bringing mothers supplies for their young. It was one of the poorer villages of Fu Naru, where the men usually worked from dawn till dusk, and the wives took care of a multitude of children. Mayah had special permission from Queen Ryona to take an assembly of servants with her once a week to help tend to the needs of the villagers. In the days Mayah was to train Sae, she decided it best that they go everyday. The village mothers were happy to see Mayah, their expressions softening at the sight of her. Mayah possessed a very powerful maternal element.

On her first day, Mayah introduced Sae to a very young family, a woman only a year older than herself, with two small children and a third on the way. Her husband, a thin young man not much older, left the house before the sun rose every morning, to go work in the fields. The village operated by the collective efforts of all those tending to the fields. The crop would be sorted into sales and village food; the food dispersed fairly to each family, depending on the number of children. The profits from the sales were likewise distributed equally. Because it had been a rough year for crops, the palace had donated much supplies to the village, and they continued to so that the families could survive as they continued to try and support themselves.

The young mother, Wella, was very grateful for Sae's assistance, though the young noblewoman didn't know what she was doing. Wella's oldest child, a girl of two, Sae found she could best entertain. Their second daughter, who was one, Sae was hopeless with. Sae had only been eight years old when her youngest sibling, Mealina, was born, and though she vaguely remembered doing small chores to help take care of her, Lady Kiva her stepmother had always been right on top of taking care of her baby.

"I think it will be okay." Wella said, patting Sae's hand in sympathy. "I doubt they will drop a baby in your arms and ask you to take care of it. This test isn't about being a new mother, it is about rearing children; teaching them good morals, playing with them, loving them. As long as you do this with an honest heart, and do your best to make the children happy, I think you will do okay."

"Still, it won't hurt her to learn how to change a diaper cloth," Mayah grinned, giving Wella's baby a rattle to shake.

And so Sae began her days of training. They had her looking after the baby for a few hours, then decided she had learned enough to suffice for present, and promoted her to taking care of the toddler.

"She loves to play outside in the sand ditch with the other children," Wella said. "Why don't you take her out there? I'm sure some of her friends are already there."

And indeed, there were other children, one or two as young as Wella's toddler, most of them a little older.

A couple of mothers stood off to the side chatting away, but kept an eye on their own young as well as the other children crouched in the sand. There was silent consent within the village that mothers who were too busy to look after their older children playing outside would be covered by the mothers who had the time. In this sense, almost every woman of the village was like a second mother to each child. It was a refreshing system that Sae rather liked. It gave the village a very safe, secure feel.

"Come on Tess, I see a nice spot in the sand over here." Sae said, leading the girl to the sand.

Watching the kids play Sae noticed a lot. As Tess made herself comfortable in one small space, an older boy tossed a bit of sand her way, some of it hitting her face. Seconds later Tess was crying.

"There, there girl," Sae said, getting into the sand ditch and picking Tess up.

The little girl only sobbed on her shoulder, upset beyond reach Sae feared.

"That was a very naughty thing to do Gilfred," Another woman said, seizing the hand of the boy who had thrown the sand. "If you cannot play nicely with little Tessy then you will not be allowed to play in the sand again."

At these words Gilfred began to cry, sputtering "That's not fair!"

For some reason hearing this made Tess stop. Gilfred was pulled out of the sand for a few minutes, and Tess expressed a wish to go back.

"Alright, let's try again, and if anyone else should toss sand our way we'll just pay them no heed, alright Tess?"

Rubbing her eyes dry, Tess gave a shy nod and they went back to her spot. Being in the sand reminded Sae of when she was younger. "Do you want to build a castle?"

"Uh huh" The toddler nodded her head eagerly.

They commenced with building a castle, and some of the other children offered them shells to decorate the walls with. When Gilfred was allowed back in, he placed himself close to Sae and Tess, giving them side glances every once in a while. It did not go unnoticed.

"Would you like to help us with our castle, my good sir?' Sae asked, offering him a smile. "I think you'll find sand is much more useful for building things."

Gilfred thought about it for a moment. "Oh alright." He said as if he didn't care either way, but Sae thought he looked quite pleased to be invited.

The good thing about children, Sae observed, was that they were quick to forgive and forget. Tess was now working alongside Gilfred on the castle as if he has never thrown sand at her, and Gilfred was too focused on making the castle structured to even think about being naughty. It would be nice if adults were this easy to make up, Sae thought wistfully.

"I believe for your first day with the children you did well." Mayah said in the carriage ride back to the palace.

"Yes, well, I have a lot to learn, I can see that."

"It will come with time dear. The more you are around children, the better you understand them."

"Yes well, I did grow up with younger siblings so I don't think I'm am in bad shape. I just wish I knew what exactly the fifth task will be."

"Whatever it is Sae, I'm sure with two more days in the village you shall be fine."

"I won't deny, I rather like the break from the palace. There are things I should like to escape from back there."

The carriage hit a bump in the road that moment, giving the ladies inside a jolt.

"Forgive me Sae, but did you say there were things you wished to escape from within the palace?"

She had already told Mayah once of her misstep with Prince Sevastian, and the incident in his bedroom with Roderick, yet the maid had assured her Sae was still on the right path to marrying the prince. Now, after having admitted her feelings to the Royal Advisor and being turned down, Sae wondered if she should confess again.

Mayah was such a warm woman, someone who could make a person feel so comfortable. She could not tell Mayah the whole truth, but she had kept quiet for too long, saying nothing to the friends she had made at Fu Naru palace. Perhaps she could share a portion of the truth.

"Mayah, I've been inflicted with something terrible."

"Goodness gracious child, do you mean to say you are ill?" Mayah said, suddenly alert.

"Yes, for it is an ailment of the heart Mayah. I'm inflicted with love."

Mayah burst out into a hearty laugh. "Inflicted with love! Ailment of the heart! Oh dear, you are too droll."

Sae frowned. "I'm in earnest Mayah."

"I know you are dear, which is what makes it all the more amusing. Now come, tell me more about this infliction."

"Mayah…there isn't much detail I am free to offer, though I will say that in coming to live in the palace for the past month and a half, I have come to know love, and I know not how to cope with it."

"Love never came easy, Sae. There shall always be pain, sometimes great pain, and turmoil with it. Look at the legend of the star-crossed lovers, Tristan and Iseult, from our Celtic brethren of the northwest. What made their pain worth it, Sae, was the love that came out of it. It is never an easy sport, but one must play at life. You my dear must press on with these tasks for it is your duty here at the palace."

"Yes," Sae nodded, knowing Mayah was right.

"Though there is something to be said for what your heart tells you, and if your heart conflicts with your duty Sae, then you must choose your path." Mayah added, a little more quietly, her expression suddenly dark.

By her words Sae wondered if Mayah might know more than she was letting on, however, the moment passed and Mayah's expression changed back to its usual harmless warmth. "So my child, if you can make the Prince love you back, then you shall be happy, won't you? Now you must focus on becoming the champion of these tasks."

This only added to Sae's misery, claiming, for the first time, "I wish I had stayed home with my family, away from the people dwelling in the palace."

When Mayah didn't immediately respond Sae realized her mistake and hastily added, "I'm happy to have met you Mayah, and my lady's maids, and Condor the stable boy, and Prince Sevastian, and even the knight Sir Lisario, but just knowing that so much pressure is on me, with every task I complete, if I lose I know I'll just have to give all these people up," _and give Roderick up_, "and if I win…" _I'd still have to give Roderick up, yet see him everyday_…

"Sae, no matter the outcome, it was good for you to get out of your shelter. You needed to experience real society, and no, going to social gatherings once every few months does not count. For you to mature as a person, to really love, it is important that you've met the people you have. It is only in encountering others that we come to know ourselves Sae, remember that."

Her words sounded so wise, oddly familiar, and so eloquent for a maid servant, though Sae supposed growing up as much the Queen's friend had something to do with it. Mayah thought this journey was necessary for Sae, so she could discover herself, a foreign notion to a girl who never gave self identity much thought. They were words she would have to ponder over.

o-o-o

Sae's following days in the village proved to be fruitful. She was forming an attachment to little Tess, so much so that Sae planned on visiting the village often after her adventures in the palace came to an end. It was definitely the break she needed, being in the village and playing with the children from morning until evening. She usually made it back in time to share an evening meal with Queen Ryona, who would always ask behind her pearl fan how Sae's training was doing, how she liked Fu Naru palace, and similar dreary questions Sae could predict before being asked.

The night before the fifth test, the Queen had a surprise for Sae. They were dining in the usual brilliantly painted room with the elongated table. In between the string of humdrum questions she asked Sae, Queen Ryona interjected with something new:

"I thought it prudent to tell you Lady Sae that the King's health has improved remarkably over the past month, and he has requested a visit from our latest contender. So Lady Sae, should you pass tomorrow's test, then tomorrow evening you shall pay a visit to King Basil."

Sae couldn't help but frown. She didn't like the way the Queen referred to her husband, no affection in her tone; she hoped whoever did end up marrying Prince Sevastian would love him enough so that as his Queen everyone would hear her love when she spoke of him. Certainly in Sae's own experience, her father's tone always softened when he spoke of Lady Kiva or one of his children to an outsider, and Lady Kiva was the same.

"Yes, thank you your majesty. I only hope to win that honour tomorrow."

In the hour of two the next day Sae was to be present in the thrown room for task five. On entering the room she thought she might faint. A dozen children were lined up in rows of three. Where had all these children come from? The only ones she had ever seen in the palace were the royal brats, and even them she hadn't seen lately. There they stood now, smiling deviously at her right in the front row. Besides them, she noticed another two children dressed in regal clothes; perhaps more noble children. The rest wore common garb, yet she could tell by the quality of their clothing, and by their pastel colours, that they must be servant children. Being a servant in Fu Naru palace meant one looked well presented, and often in pastel, better than the common folk of the village.

The Queen was placed on her thrown, her ladies-in-waiting fussing about her as usual. Roderick and Prince Sevastian stood near her, discussing Sae knew not what. Seeing Roderick took her mind away from the task for a moment. She had not set eyes on him in days. Mayah had seen to that with the village, though of course Mayah hadn't realized what a favour she was doing Sae's heart, or so Sae told herself anyway. Glimpsing him now only reminded her of the shame and heartbreak he had caused, all because he could not love her back. It was selfish of her to want it, but if she had the power she wondered if she would make him love her, like a witch with a love potion. Feelings of desire and sadness were beginning to consume her again; she needed to take her mind off of it, lest she fail the fifth test, her real purpose for being here. Sae forced her eyes away from him and focused on her assistant for task five. Instead of having her usual place by her friend and mistress the Queen, Mayah was standing alone and alert, the right she had acquired being Sae's assistant for the task.

"Lady Sae, please come before me." The Queen called from her post and Sae was compelled to turn back in the direction of the Royal Advisor.

Mayah gave her an encouraging nod. When Sae reached her destination a few feet away, Queen Ryona spoke again.

"It is time for the fifth task. You must prove your ability to handle children; to be both a caregiver and a teacher. Your task is to take these twelve children with you into the courtyard and play with them, and we shall watch."

Sae blinked. "Wait, that's it? Just play with them, and you'll…watch?"

"Sae," Mayah said from her side. "Don't question the task, just do it!"

"Right," Sae said, turning to the children. "Well, shall we go then?"

Most of the children began to follow, but when she turned to look behind her she noticed three stood back. Two of them had twinkling greens eyes, so much like their cousin Prince Sevastian, though where his shone with warmth, all she could see in theirs was trouble. The royal brats, Con and Wit. The third child was a boy who looked to be around Cornelia's age, and he was one of the other two children dressed regally, besides Roderick's siblings. He must have been a part of the extensive family, Sae guessed.

Sae stopped walking, and the parade of nine children behind her stopped obediently. "Coming?" She challenged with her voice.

Cornelia raised her small green eyes. "I don't feel much like the courtyard, what do you say Whitmark? Terrence?"

"No courtyard!" Whitmark exclaimed in agreement, and Terrence, the third child gave a sour face as an answer.

"Right, well you three can stand here and enjoy the thrown room then, and the rest of these good children will get to see my special surprise outside." She was making it up as she went along, but she saw how the words sparked interest.

"Oh a surprise!" Whitmark exclaimed excitedly, throwing his podgy fists in the air.

"Don't listen to her, she's bluffing." Cornelia said, crossing her arms.

"Well, you'll never know will you, standing there like that?" Sae smiled, turning back around and commencing with her walk. "Come with me children, I have a thing or two to show you all."

Terrence bit his lip. "I think we should follow…you know, just to make sure she is bluffing."

Cornelia rolled her eyes, letting her hands drop back to her side. "Oh all right, let's go then."

Whitmark was clearly the most happy about this, as he skipped to catch up with the other children, the sceptics Terrence and Cornelia dragging up the rear of the child parade out of the room.

"Well now, that's an interesting start to it." Prince Sevastian laughed, and the adults all made their way out to the courtyard.

In the courtyard Sae had all the children sitting on the grass in a circle, except of course for the three children determined to make trouble for her. Terrence and Cornelia opted to sit beneath a tree away from the crowd, looking bored and pretending like they weren't paying attention to anything Sae said. Whitmark, determined to show up Sae, stood right next to her in the middle of the circle and copied everything she did, only with added exaggeration, making the children laugh and laugh and pay less attention to her. She was trying to tell them a story, but this wasn't going well, not with Wit there to mess her up.

She took a moment to think; think back to when her little brothers were unruly, well more unruly than they were now, and how she would try and handle them.

"Whitmark," she said sweetly, turning to him.

He looked up at her, putting his finger to his nose and squishing it back like a pig's snout, snorting in defiance. Sae called upon her patience and pressed on.

"There is something very interesting I want to show these children, but I can't do it alone. I need the help of someone strong, someone who can help me so well that these children will admire his talents."

"Someone strong?" Whitmark looked at her seriously for the first time. "I am someone strong, I am very strong. I'm even stronger than you are."

"Well, you'll have to prove that to me. So, what do you say? Do you want to impress these children with how strong you are?"

He smiled. "What is it you want to show them?"

"Excellent." Sae smiled, turning back to the children. "Alright everyone, my assistant Whitmark here is going to do some pretty amazing things, and you'll all be very entertained."

"What are you going to do?" One of the children asked.

"Yeah, what am I going to do?" Whitmark repeated, turning to Sae.

Somewhere not far from them Sae thought she heard a young girl scoff and say, "_nothing, you ninny, she's tricking you!_" but she choose to ignore it.

"What are you going to do?" Sae said. "I'll show you exactly what you're going to do."

Sae bent down and plucked a thick piece of grass from the ground. Placing it between her thumbs, she marvelled all of them by putting her lips to her thumbs and blowing. A sharp duck-like squawk made them all jump. It was something her twin brothers used to do all the time, and annoyed the heavens out of Lady Kiva.

"Oh, teach me!" One of the children exclaimed, and then they were all grabbing for her hands.

"Wait, wait, you don't need this blade of grass," she laughed, pointing to the ground. "Any flat and fat blade will do."

They scrambled to find the desired type she described, and Whitmark plucked the one out of her hands and tried mimicking her actions.

"You have to place it between your thumbs like this," She said, helping him position it.

Other children copied her movements, and soon lots of brisk squawks were sounding through the courtyard.

"The children seem to be enjoying themselves." Prince Sevastian said warmly to his cousins.

"Yes, and she's teaching them such a valuable lesson." Roderick responded dryly.

Sir Lisario and the Prince would have been worried then but the Royal Advisor's smile gave away his true thoughts.

"That looks cool." Terrence said by the tree, reaching down to pick some grass.

"Don't even try it." Cornelia threatened.

The duck calling was fun only for so long before Whitmark threw his blade to the ground, saying "I thought you said I could be strong?"

"You can." Sae said, thinking fast. How could she prove him strong?

"If you're so strong, lift me up!" Cried an older boy, bigger and taller than Whitmark.

The children all stopped to watch Whitmark.

Feeling the pressure, he said "Oh, I can lift you."

"Go on then." The boy said, coming to stand in front of him.

Whitmark grabbed him around the stomach and pulled. Though the boy was momentarily off the ground, Whitmark let go of him instantly, buckling under the weight.

"Hah! You aren't strong." The boy laughed, and the other children laughed with him.

Whitmark's eyes were watering and Sae knew she had to do something quick.

"He is strong," She intervened. "But everyone carries their strength in different places."

"Where's my strength?" The teary-eyed Wit asked.

"Your strength is in your back and legs." She patted him on his shoulder. "Try lifting him again but use your back. Carry him behind you."

The older boy rolled his eyes but came to stand behind Whitmark, and Wit did as he was instructed. He reached behind and balanced the boy on his back, and this time he found it was much easier to maintain the lift.

"Look at me, I'm doing it!" Whitmark shouted.

The children cheered and then began to try it out on each other, and soon piggy backing was discovered by a new generation of palace children.

"Boring!" A familiar female voice called from the tree not far off.

Sae closed her eyes for a moment and told herself to ignore it, but the children probably wouldn't, so she had to move on.

"Alright, now I've taught you how to sound like a bird, and to carry heavy things, but there is one more thing you need to know about living in the wild." She began, getting their attention.

"What do _you_ know about living in the wild?" One of the children asked.

"Me? Personally? Not a thing. But my cousin…Sir Boar, he lived in the wilderness for years as an animal catcher. He told me all about these things."

It sounded pretty awful to her ears, but the children were eating it up.

"Sir Boar?" Lisario laughed. "How cute Sae."

"I wonder if his brother _Sir Bear_ taught Sae about the wild too." Prince Sevastian added.

The children had all sat down again and were watching her with such rapt attention she felt the pressure. She had better make this good!

"Sir Boar lived in the wild for over ten years," She began. "And during that time he fought off many wild animals by picking them up with his back, just as I showed you, and tossing them as far as he could."

"Why was he an animal catcher?" A little girl asked.

"Why? Because he was fascinated by animals, and he wanted to write about all the amazing ones he saw in the forest, ones we've never seen and never heard of. He had to make up names for some of them, they were so new to our world. He recorded all his adventures down, and when he could, brought back strange beasts for us to examine."

"Whoa." Some of them said.

She went on to tell them stories of her made-up cousin, and the daring adventures he went on. The children loved it, and even Cornelia and Terrence found themselves listening in anticipation for the explorations of this knight. Finally, when Sae felt she was running out of ideas, she thought it best to give them time to play.

"Now as I said before, Sir Boar taught me many things from his escapades. There is one more thing I will teach you today. Are you ready?"

The children eagerly assented, and she took a moment to form her plan.

"When you are in the wilderness, you must keep warm at night." It was something her father had taught the twins one summer, when they announced their intentions of camping out in their family forest. Count Arland had scared them with stories of scary animals and blistering cold with nothing but the leaves to protect themselves with. Her brothers changed their mind pretty quickly after that, much to the delight of her parents.

"If you have brought nothing with you but the clothes on your back, like Sir Boar, then you must rely on the leaves for protection."

"What is that impossible girl telling them now?" Roderick groaned.

"What? I think it makes sense." Lisario laughed, and Sevastian said, "go easy on her cousin, she's trying her best."

"So, if you find yourself lost in the woods, you must collect wood for fire, and you must collect leaves to cover yourself, like a blanket."

They nodded at her and she clapped her hands together. "So, let's see who is the first to collect enough leaves to cover themselves with. I will be the judge as Sir Boar taught me how many leaves are required."

Fall had just begun in the kingdom, and there were few leaves scattered about the courtyard. The children made a mad dash to try and grab as many as they could, some of them resorting to pulling the changing leaves off trees for there weren't enough on the ground.

As the children collected, many began to lie on the ground and pile their leaves on top of themselves, asking her "is this enough?"

Sae would laugh and say no, and they would go back to gathering more.

Soon all the children were covering their bodies with leaves and giggling at the game.

Without a word, Terrence got up form his post by the tree and starting walking towards the laughing children.

Cornelia yelled after him, "What are you doing? Come back here Terrence."

Terrence didn't answer her however. Perhaps he was tired of pretending to be a contrary little boy, or perhaps he just wanted to enjoy himself playing with the other children. It certainly beat sitting underneath a tree doing nothing but sneering at the lady who was trying her best to keep the children entertained. She wasn't as bad as Cornelia made her out to be.

"Terrence you get back here!" Cornelia yelled louder, though her anger could not reach him.

Nearing a tantrum, Cornelia started ripping out the grass in her clutched fingers, exclaiming, "It's not fair, leaving me like this! It's not fair!"

But none of the happy children paid her any attention. The onlookers did however.

"Cornelia looks near one of her fits," Prince Sevastian said with a brotherly concern. "I think you should stop the task now before it gets serious."

The Queen gave a curt nod and stood up. "The task is now over," she called out in a clear voice. "Everyone, let us gather there and decide if the test is passed or not."

She stepped onto the fresh green lawn and the others followed her. She stopped in front of the group of laughing children. "If all the children could sit before me we shall commence."

The children obligingly quieted down, brushed the leaves off their garments, and sat before her. Prince Sevastian and Roderick went over to the tree and convinced Cornelia to join them, though Sae knew not how.

"Now," The Queen began. "Play is essential for every child's growth and development. Among having many physical benefits, it also greatly helps a child learn to socialize with others, and learn of the world. And so, to pass this test Lady Sae, I would like to hear from the children what they have learned. And so children, can one of you tell me what you've learned today?"

"I've learned how to make the call of an ugly bird!" One of them exclaimed.

"I've learned about Sir Boar's forest adventures." another added.

"Now I can make a bed out of leaves." a third replied.

Sae felt like smacking her own head. These were not useful skills or morals children needed to learn. She was doomed….and it had felt like it went so well too.

Roderick cleared his throat from beside the Queen. "If I may your highness, I would like to hear what the palace brats—my brother and sister—have learned today."

Sae could hardly contain a groan. This was a death sentence. How could Roderick do this to her? Didn't he tell her not five days ago that she must try her best to win? Had he not seen what a hard time his sister had given her?

Whitmark smiled, clenching his fists. "I learned just how strong I am, and that I can do anything I want to if I keep trying."

Mayah smiled, saying, "He learned to believe in himself and his abilities."

Roderick shot her a quick glance, and Sae thought she saw a smile masked behind his features, but it was fleeting, as he addressed his sister. "Cornelia?"

She came forward, clearly pouting. "What have I learned? I'll tell you what I've learned. Not all adults are fun, especially women." She said, shooting a glance at Sae.

Mayah laughed. "A great lesson for a young girl who is soon to become a young woman herself. It is important to learn the different ways of women, so you can decide just what type of woman you want to become yourself, Cornelia."

Cornelia would not let it go though. "I've also learned that life is completely unfair."

Mayah smiled very broadly at this. "Well, wouldn't you say your highness that this is the best lesson of all a child can learn? Life is not a fairytale as some children are falsely led to believe. Parents will not always be around to make sure everything turns out the way a child wants it to. Life is indeed unfair."

This certainly seemed to stun the Royal Advisor, Prince Sevastian and Queen Ryona herself, but after a moment's pause the Queen was nodding very slowly, saying "quite, quite, a good lesson indeed."

"And so," Mayah went on, "I think it is safe to say that Lady Sae has passed this test, wouldn't you say so your highness?"

The Queen blinked. "Oh my, yes."

"Splendid." Mayah said, clasping her hands together. "Well Sae, there you are. Good job."

Sae could hardly believe it. She had just won. How was that even possible? She knew she owed Mayah for this victory, in more ways than one.

The Queen wasted no time in making her departure, her lady's maids trailing behind. A couple of the children got up to follow her back into the palace, while others chose to stay in the courtyard and bask in the afternoon sun.

Waking from a moment of deep thought, Sae's gaze scanned the courtyard briefly for Mayah so she could thank the old woman. It was a miracle she had passed this time. Instead her eyes fell on Roderick; he was speaking to Mayah not far off. She could hardly control her sinking heart then. It had been days since she had spoken to him. She missed the sound of his voice, his mannerisms, even the way he walked, and his deep blue eyes. She had tried to escape their depths, but even without looking at her she felt their pull. Without realizing it, her feet began to drift her closer to them.

"That was an interesting turn of events," Roderick said to Mayah, quirking his eyebrow and smiling at her.

"Lady Sae demonstrated great ability in this task. It's no wonder the Queen ruled in her favour." Mayah said, her tone a little too innocent.

His smile turned into a smirk, as if he were winning a bet against her. "Now who's playing favourites M—"

At that moment his eyes met Sae's, who now stood behind Mayah. Clearing his throat, he said, "Excuse me, won't you?" and left Mayah's side.

His simple action left Sae miserable minutes after succeeding in the fifth task. Since the day she had admitted her feelings to him, offered to throw her chance of becoming a queen away for him, and done everything short of thrown herself at him, she had not seen him. Her past days in the village had been a nice getaway, but now was the time for her to come back to reality, a reality in which Roderick would never love her.

Later, as Sae was being helped into one of her best dresses, for she would be paying King Basil a visit, Mayah came to her rooms.

"You have now gone farther than any other contender." Mayah said, leaning against Sae's armoire. With her dress in place, Sae moved to sit by her dresser mirror, making sure her hair was presentable for the King. Phélie had put it in an elaborate knot of curls, and she wondered if it was too done up. As she debated with the reflection peering back at her, she replied to Mayah, "Yes, and I have one more to go."

"Yes, one more." Mayah said, her voice low.

Sae turned from her mirror and looked at Mayah. "I can't do this."

"What child? Of course you can, you look fine."

"No Mayah, I can't go through with these tests. I'm so close, only one more, but I just can't. You told me I would have to choose between my duty and my heart, and I feel like I'm being spilt into two."

"Sae, what is it? Tell me."

"I…" Sae pulled at the folds in her dress.

"My dear, I am here for your health, and that includes your emotional wellbeing. If you need someone to talk to, I am she."

It was enough to break Sae. "Oh Mayah! You can't possibly know how troubled I am. I must leave here as soon as possible, this very instant even. I am not fit to be a contender."

Mayah came to stand by Sae, taking Sae's young smooth hand in her older, wrinkled one. "My child, why do you wish to leave the palace so ardently? Why are you not fit to be a contender?"

"Because Mayah, I have fallen in love with the wrong man!"

"Oh, is that so?" They were not words of shock or surprise, but rather calm, inviting her to continue her story.

She accepted the silent invitation. "I have fallen in love with the Royal Advisor, Mayah, not the Crown Prince! It is simply dreadful. Do you think me dreadful?"

Mayah seemed to indulge herself with a dramatic pause, and Sae bravely ventured to look her in the face. She noticed the maid had a sudden spark in her eye. However, Mayah answered steadily enough. "Dear, no one can control love, it is not your fault. However, I hear the footsteps of Gallagher outside your chamber. We shall continue this conversation later Sae."

"Yes, thank you." Sae agreed, feeling better already, perhaps because she had finally confided in someone, and perhaps because Mayah's voice was so soothing.

Just as Mayah foretold, Sae heard the knock at her door seconds later.

"You better be ready Lady Sae, for it is time to see the King." A familiar nervy voice interposed from far away.

Mayah smiled encouragingly at her. Her other lady's maids who had been waiting in the main room of her quarters came into her chamber room.

"Gallagher's at the door Sae," Alesia said. "He sounds irritated."

"So we heard." Mayah's eyes twinkled.

"As always," Phélie rolled her eyes. "So, are you ready?"

"As much as I can be in a situation such as this," Sae sighed. "I had better get it over with quickly."

"It will cause no pain Sae," Mayah said warmly. "His highness King Basil is a wonderful king, and though he is not in the best of health, you'll find him to be a kind, gentle man. I'm sure you'll come to understand why Fu Naru has flourished under his rule."

The way the servants talked of their king, Sae thought, was so touching. She knew he must really be a good man, especially if Mayah spoke so affectionately of her Lord.

When Sae left her room she was met with a pair of agitated hazel eyes. "Finally ready, are we?"

She opened her mouth to protest but he didn't give her the chance. "Follow me. I have many other pressing things to do and no time to waste."

"Won't you be waiting for me though, to show me the way back?" Sae asked, following him down the hall.

Gallagher face turned even sourer. "It is my job to escort you to the King, who will be meeting with you in one of his drawing rooms. It is located in the south wing, and I am sure you are more than capable of navigating your way out of there, back to your own quarters."

She knew she would be able to, so she didn't argue. "He has gotten out of bed, has he then?"

"The king has improved well enough to leave his bed, yes. However, he is resting against a chaise lounge, so you must not exert his mind with your prattle."

Sae could of course protest to this, but knowing he would probably cut her off, she remained silent.

When they arrived at the room in question Gallagher cleared his throat, knocking at the door and saying, "Lady Sae has arrived."

"Let her in," A diminishing voice croaked.

The door was then held open by a servant. Sae entered and Gallagher wasted no time in staying. Two guards stood on either side of the ailed king. Just as Gallagher had said, the King was laying against a chaise lounge for support. He was covered in wool blankets and she could see by his face and hands he was brittle. Still, there was something in his face, a sort of set determination that Sae fancied meant he was not willing to let his illness get the best of him. His expression was also soft and earnest, and it reminded her of how Mayah had described him; a kind, gentle man. He had a head full of white hair, and soft hazel eyes; those famous Fu Naru royalty eyes that the younger Prince Fabian had inherited. The wrinkles on the sides of his eyes told Sae that he had had a life full of sufficient laughter and smiles.

His smile was kind.

"Please my dear young lady, come rest your feet." He gestured to the couch across from him, his voice hoarse from coughing.

"I thank you my lord." Sae said, approaching him, bowing and kissing his frail hand in respect, then taking her seat across from him.

"So they tell me you are the lady champion, the one who is winning all of these…" He paused, looking at the two guards next to him, and then back at her, "these tasks."

"I do not pretend to be any sort of champion your majesty, but yes so far I have been successful, though there were times when I thought I would not."

"You must be doing well, for this is the first time I have met any of the ladies participating in this tri—" he stopped mid sentence, looking again at his guards, "in these tasks, I mean. From what my Queen has told me, most of the ladies have left before even spending a month in my palace. You I believe have been here for almost two."

"Yes, that is correct your highness. I have now completed five of the six tasks."

King Basil soundly fell into a fit of coughing that sounded more like gagging. It terrified Sae, and she fumbled to help him but he extended his hand forward, motioning her to stop.

"Elson," He said, addressing the guard on his left the moment he could speak. "Go to the kitchens and ask them to make another soothing concoction for me. Tell them to take their time so they can get it perfect."

"Yes my liege." Elson bowed, leaving promptly.

King Basil smiled. "Patrod, this room is too stuffy, go and call the maids to open the windows so I may breathe fresh air."

"But your highness, I must stay in this room and watch over you." The guard said hesitantly.

"Very well, then you yourself can draw back every curtain, tether them to the wall, and open every window in this room."

"Yes my lord." Patrod said, beginning his chore.

King Basil turned back to Sae. "As you were saying my child?"

"I have completed five of the six tasks so far your majesty." Sae repeated.

The King gave a hoarse laugh. "Six you say! Are you quite sure of that my lady? What of the seventh task?"

"Your highness!" Patrod called sharply from one of the windows he was opening.

"Ah, see, they do not want me speaking of it but…"

"Please my liege, say no more. You know the Queen's wishes."

"That I do. However, I may be sick Patrod but I am still your King. You will obey me and keep quiet. Your comrade Elson has gone to the kitchens, he need never know."

Patrod looked torn and confused. "I was given specific orders—"

"By my wife, yet I am still the ruler of this country, even before her."

That shut the guard up. King Basil turned his attention back to Sae.

"Because my body is breaking they think I am not able to fully function, but they forget my mind is intact. I am still fit to rule and give order. Now Lady Sae, I have worked hard at getting well enough to leave my bed, and I will not let this meeting go in vain. I mean to tell you everything."

By the slam of the window not far off, Sae realized the guard was horrified at the King's words. However, he said nothing.

"I asked you my lady of the seventh task." King Basil prompted.

"But my lord," Sae said, confused. "I know not what you mean. There are only six tasks."

"So you haven't figured it out yet my dear girl. You are smart enough to best five of the tasks so far, but not clever enough to have discovered the seventh; the most important one of all."

"So there is a seventh task? A secret one?" The news startled her.

"You will find Lady Sae, that the palace of Fu Naru is not what it seems. People are not who they seem; I doubt very much if you are aware of the true royalty in this palace, and where the illusion lies."

Sae glanced at the guard, who seemed to have given up opening the windows. He stood with his back to them, as if hoping not to hear any of the conversation happening feet away from him.

"Are you…very ill your highness?"

"Yes my child, my body is deteriorating, but I tell you my mind is sharp. I am not unwell in the head. I speak the truth. They are testing you young lady. Servants and sons wear each others' masks, monarch and maids are interchangeable."

The words were cryptic, yet she could not escape their meaning.

"Your majesty," Patrod butt in, no longer able to keep quiet. "I really think it best you take rest now."

King Basil sighed. "I am tired, as it happens. Well Lady Sae, I think I have put you on your guard at least. I want it known that never have I agreed to this trickery. I think it's horrendous, though my Queen thinks it's necessary. In any case, I felt you should be warned. So I bid you goodnight."

Sae wanted to stop him, to ask him to tell her more of this absurdity that she could not wrap her mind around. Instead she let Patrod come and help him up, and take him out of the room to his chambers. The King was such an old man; he could very well be senile for all she knew. Still, the way Patrod acted made the whole thing suspicious.

Sae began a slow walk back to her quarters, her feet dragging, her mind deep in the turbulence of thought. Just what was she to believe?

She thought of the people she had gotten to know; her lady's maids, Mayah, Condor, the Prince, the Queen, the Knight…and the Royal Advisor. Had they been leading her astray this whole time? Then she thought of King Basil, and his ailing health. No one had ever specified what his sickness was, mental or physical. He had been bedridden for months, never seeing any of the contenders, until her. So, just who was she to believe?

* * *

**End of Part Two**


	14. Part Three: 1

**Part Three**

* * *

Mayah sat where she promised she would be, on Sae's bed waiting for her, when Sae finally found her way back to her chambers. Perhaps it was the emotional conversation they had had before, or perhaps it was because of the current look on Sae's face, but the first words the maiden received from the maid were, "My dear, sit down and tell me your troubles."

Sae sat herself down promptly and began. "I had meant to speak with you about Roderick, but I admit my mind is preoccupied with a newborn puzzling matter."

"Something new?" It was the first time that night Mayah looked disoriented. "What ever could _that_ be?"

"His royal majesty the King spoke to me—told me such singular things."

The maid's posture became upright at once, her eyes alarmed. "The King has told you what, Sae?"

"He's warned me." Sae confessed, gripping the edge of her bedding. "Warned me not to trust anyone in this palace. He claims I've been told complete lies. He even went so far as to suggest that the royalty I have met are not genuine."

"Outlandish!" Mayah exclaimed.

Sae smiled weakly. "If in fact you were all playing a part I suppose as a servant Mayah you would be liable to feign ignorance, so I expect that sort of answer from you. However, the idea alone has spawned such strange notions on my walk back here. Is it such a coincidence that Prince Sevastian has bright green eyes, not hazel, the famous Fu Naru royal hazel, and yet someone like Sir Lisario who is only a cousin has the correct eyes?"

"You my dear are making paranoid connections. Not everyone in the Fu Naru family has hazel eyes. Why, the very Queen herself does not have them. As for Sir Lisario, he is a cousin to the direct royal line, so it is not surprising he may share family traits. He is no prince." Mayah rebuked lightly.

"Yes…I suppose so," Sae frowned. "And the Queen's eyes are green, just like Sevastian's. But then…the King suggested that even the Queen herself was not the real one."

"Simply preposterous!" Mayah's eyes widened at the very suggestion. "I'm astonished you would listen to the rantings of our old poor King who is not well in health or spirit."

"I'm not sure Mayah…it seems all too suspicious to dismiss. Doubtless you are forbidden to tell me the truth if it is so. I admire your loyalty to the Queen, but it certainly has got me thinking."

Mayah stood up from her seat and faced Sae, patting the young maiden's shoulder. "My dear, I want you to listen to me when I tell you that the king is not in good health, and the knight is the knight, the prince is the prince, and if you truly do love the Royal Advisor, you should not try and distract yourself with these foolish falsehoods, but instead be brave and face your fears. You should tell the Queen you are resigning from the competition, and then explain your feelings to Roderick and hope for the best. You may end up marrying someone in this palace after all."

"Hah. I already told him my feelings, and I was promptly rejected Mayah!"

The servant looked at her thoughtfully. "Were you now? What exactly did he say?"

"I cannot recount his exact words. At first he was silent, then he told me that I was forgetting myself, and…he explained that it would jeopardize both of our situations, which I knew was his way of being a gentleman. He wouldn't embarrass me with his true meaning. He does not care for me."

With a disproving tut Mayah responded, "You are too rash in making assumptions my dear. For now let us just place a question mark upon whatever his feelings are for you. Presently there are other things that require your focus. Sae, above all you should be honest with the royalty, and tell Prince Sevastian about this matter as well. I think he'd rather know your true feelings and would be honoured if you confided in him."

"Perhaps…" Sae bit her bottom lip. "I doubt he would be upset, for I do not think Sevastian has come to love me, as I have not come to love him. We are simply too much of a platonic pair."

"Good. Now, it's time you get to bed and rest your mind from such troubling hearsay. Believe me when I say the King is indeed ill. You can trust in the royalty of Fu Naru."

o-o-o

The next few days were meant for Sae to relax, before she would have to worry over the sixth task. Her lady's maids were going out of their way to distract Sae from her disconcerting thoughts. They were not very successful. Sae was being pulled by two very strong resolutions: the first, to act on Mayah's orders and tell Sevastian everything, then tell the Queen, and lastly try talking to Roderick about her feelings one last time. The idea frightened her so much that it seemed easier to stick with the second resolution, the one Roderick told her to do; focus on the tasks and be true to the Prince she was trying to gain the hand of.

Her heart wrenched at the thought of marrying the Prince. He was everything she could look for—in a brother. For a husband, she scarcely could believe it of herself, but she wanted the burning passion, the intellectual connection, and deep understanding her soul felt for the Royal Advisor. There could be no mistake in this any longer; she loved him with all her heart and knew not what to do with her unrequited feelings.

"Those palace rascals Cornelia and Whitmark have been eager for you to start exploring the halls again. They want to play a new trick on you. Don't you want to catch them at their own game?" Beda suggested.

"I'm not much in the mood for that Beda, thank you."

"I've spoken to Condor this morning. He says you haven't been out to ride lately. Isn't this a lovely day for a gallop in the park Sae?" Alesia countered.

"Not today, I'll visit the stables another time."

"Sae, the apples have begun to grow ripe for picking out in the orchards. Shall we go pick some and ask the cook to make apple tarts for us?" Phélie used her cheeriest voice.

Sae hesitated, then agreed, "All right, I do love apples…and I admit I am growing tired of sitting in this room."

All three maids sighed in relief, and wasted no time in preparing Sae for an afternoon out in the delicate sun and fresh early autumn air, among the changing leaves and growing ruby apples.

Later Sae dined with the Queen and silence was the song of the evening. A few times during the meal, Sae attempted conversation but could not bring herself to speak. She was sure that if she dare, the wrong ones would tumble out. Those words of course would be Sae's confession and resignation from the tasks. Sae could not bring herself to do such a thing, regardless of Mayah's motherly advice, and so she kept her tongue bottled up that evening. With the Queen being a quiet woman herself, silence ensued.

After her days of tormented relaxation had passed, Gallagher appeared at her door one afternoon and in his rude fashion announced that she was to present herself in the Royal Advisors' study within the hour. Sae braced herself and followed his orders.

She found Roderick behind his familiar big oak desk waiting for her.

"It is time we discuss—" He began and she took a deep breath, "—your final task."

She exhaled. Though she knew this was exactly what he was going to say, she still felt a pang of disappointment.

"It is called 'The Ruling Test'. You must prove yourself to be what a ruler is made of. Namely, you must show a commanding presence, and display the ability to reign over the people of Fu Naru."

"But…how?"

"The test will be what it is. You must focus on preparing yourself for it, however the Queen decides to test you."

Sae was at a loss. Of all the tasks she had little inkling on how they would test her for this one. The history test was knowledge, the children rearing task was with children, and the social one was proving herself in society. But a ruling test? How could she prove that without actually ruling first? And how was this any different from the justice test, when she had to make ruling decisions between subjects of the kingdom. Was that not a demonstration of ruling her country?

"This seems the most obscure of all the tasks presented to me. Can you not give me more information?" She enquired.

He looked at her for a moment, as if unsure of what to say, but answered her thus: "I'm afraid it was designed to be obscure, for this task is not one you can study for in any way. Of all the tasks, it is closest to 'The Justice Test' for you will be asked to call upon your own beliefs and make your own decisions when you present. That is all I can give away. I suggest you choose your assistant wisely."

"Thank you Roderick," She said, sitting across from him and wondering if now would be a good time to confess her feelings once again.

He gave her a brief nod then turned his attention back to the papers on his desk, saying, "If you have no further questions, then you may go."

By his indifferent attitude she knew now was not the best time for a love confession, so she got up and opened the door.

"…and good luck Sae." He added, just as she closed the door behind her.

o-o-o

By the suggestion of her maid Alesia days ago, Sae woke up early and went out for her first horse ride in the past seven days. Her object was to encounter Prince Sevastian, and she didn't fail.

"It is good to see you out and riding once again." Sevastian said, slowing his horse's stride to match pace with hers.

"Yes, poor Ivy was getting restless in her stables, so Condor was telling me. I am happy to be riding with her again."

"And I am grateful for the company." He gallantly countered.

"I confess though, Prince Sevastian, I did not just come out here for morning exercise."

"Oh? What was your other purpose? And please, as always, just call me Sevastian."

"I have a favour to ask of you." She smiled sheepishly. "If you would be willing, I'd like you to be my helper for my final task."

"Oh, grooming yourself for the final task already, are we?" He chuckled.

"Yes, the sixth one, 'The Ruling Test'. I'd like a ruler to prepare me for this, and you are just the person."

"Well Sae, you made an effort this morning to catch me, how could I say no? Shall we adjourn for the morning and after lunch meet in the west drawing room to begin?"

"Oh thank you Sevastian, yes."

"Not at all milady." He beamed back.

Later the Prince and Sae began a discussion on what she faced.

"You must understand, Sae, none of the ladies before you had reached the final task; I have not the slightest notion on how the Queen means to test you. Therefore I can only prepare you by my own ignorant design. If you will put your faith in me though, I will give you my full might."

Sae's face lit up nonetheless. "I knew I could count on you Sevastian! I must confess, when I asked for your help I feared you would decline. I know the Queen herself isn't allowed to be my assistant, that would conflict with her own interest as the judge, but I did not know if you would be allowed to aid me. After all, you are the very prince I am aiming to marry by defeating these tasks."

"There is truth in those words, and yet, I am not the one testing you, so why shan't I serve you if it is in both our wills? I suppose in some light it can be construed as a conflict of interest for me as well. The prize should not be helping the contender, but I do like you Sae. I feel that we've become fast friends. Also, I acknowledge that when someone asks for assistance I can not bear refuse them."

"You've satisfied my conscious on that regard. Now, how shall we commence?"

"I've ideas to start with." He grinned and stood up from his seat. "You must first come with me. I wish to show you something."

They left the drawing room and the Prince led Sae up a flight of grand stairs to a familiar hallway she had once ventured through during the early days of her visit at the palace.

"Have you walked through here?" He enquired, and when she answered favourably he added, "And have you set eyes upon the portraits that hang here?"

Once again she admitted to it, though she clarified, "I confess I did not pay much attention; a passing glance is all I gave these paintings. I prefer landscape art to portraits."

"Aye, as do I, though I want you to take a moment and look into the faces of my ancestors, the great past rulers of Fu Naru. Peer into the eyes of these sincere rulers who wanted the best for their country, and I want you to see yourself in them, draw an inspiration from these imperfect, though dedicated kings and queens of yesteryear."

From the windows across, faint light spilled into the narrow hall and cast half shadows on each portrait. Sae placed herself in front of the first painting and look earnestly at the Ancient King Montagne. He had been known for two things: the kindness he had demonstrated to his subjects in a time of poverty, and his rather lovely ginger beard. His intense grey eyes flashed back at her through the painting, though the softness of his face, and the crinkles on the edge of his eyes and the sides of his mouth told Sae that this was a great King of old.

"It's strange," she noted after a long pause, "but just by looking at this portrait, I feel I can read in his face the kind of ruler he was."

"The history books do not lie, nor do the legends. He was a good man. I am proud to be related to him, however slightly it is."

Sae looked away from the painting and towards the prince. "I wouldn't say it's slight. No matter how couple centuries ago it was, you are still a direct descendant from him."

"Yes, that is true." He said it so quietly she barely heard him, but then he continued with more enthusiasm. "Now, onto the next portrait. I'd like to introduce you to Queen Darina the Valiant, his daughter."

That night Sae went to sleep with spirits that were considerably higher than they had been in days. The Prince just seemed to brighten her mood, and was that not a good enough reason to marry him? Putting the thought aside, for it would surely ruin her current frame of mind, Sae instead thought of all the portraits she had examined as she drifted off to sleep. Though at face value it did not seem to have a tangible connection with preparing her for the task, she understood why the prince had done it. After looking into the faces of all the past rulers, she recognized a sincerity to do the country justice in each of them. It inspired her to put forth her best efforts for the kingdom, and she was now more eager than ever to start her real training with Sevastian.

o-o-o

"You've seen their faces, and you've read about them in historical text. Now I want you to contemplate deeply, and discuss with me what they did for the country. What made them great rulers?"

They were seated in the west drawing room, and Sevastian was doing his best to aid his companion with her impending task.

"Their greatest achievements, you mean?"

"Those, as well as the insignificant everyday things they were recorded as doing. A ruler isn't just great because of the few big contributions they have made, though those are very notable. Instead, they are greater still for the small, mundane things they give of themselves, which go unnoticed until they have left us. It is the small miracles that add up and become what really matters, though legends deceive us, for all that will be remembered a century later are their big achievements. Ask the people of those times, and I am sure the ones situated by the ruler would tell more of the simple things their majesty had done."

"Though we have no way of knowing many of the little things." Sae countered.

"That is both true and false. The general texts written years later will give us vague idea, but the scribes of the time, persons privileged to know their ruler, will give us more detail. The text exists; you only need find it."

"Shall we then to the library? That is where I suppose such text to be accessible."

"Yes, to the library, but only after we have a discussion on my great ancestors. I wish first to know what knowledge you have of them and their accomplishments. From there we will uncover simpler truths."

And that was how Sae found herself spending the next two days, expanding her knowledge on the ancient kings and queens, and figuring out what it meant to be a ruler of Fu Naru.

As for the remainder time until the task, Sevastian had something else planned for her.

"Now that we've covered the past rulers, I want you to think of yourself, and how you fit into this Sae. What kind of ruler do you want to be, and how would you will this country? Think about all you've seen; your experience in the villages, when you were getting to know the people during the harvest, or looking after their children. Think of all you know of this country, its assets and flaws, and how you would work with those. Also, be mindful of your position. You would be a queen consort to a king, that is, you would rule beside him. You must remember that your vocation is to council and advise, and not often make the final decision; that is the King's right. However, as a Queen you do have power with the law and protection of the people, so be mindful of that."

It was a lot to ingest, but Sae was serious about becoming the future ruler. She knew though her heart wasn't in agreement with marrying the prince, it was drawn to the position of Queen, and she felt deep within that this was something she was meant to do.

So, Sae thought long and hard about the country and her place within it, what she had seen and what she wished to see. The Prince questioned her over many things, and was pleased with the results.

"I think come tomorrow's task you'll be fine."

"Oh Sevastian, that is sweet of you to say. I am mentally fatigued though, and long for fresh air. Would you accompany me in a walk through the rose gardens this evening?"

In response he held out his arm for her to take. "Let us, dear friend."

o-o-o

Sevastian insisted on escorting Sae to her rooms once they left the gardens. They were walking down the cobbled path back to the west doors, the sun having almost completely set, when out of the corner of Sae's eye she caught quite a sight.

Half concealed by a tree, she could still make out Alesia pressed up again the trunk, with Condor leaning over her, speaking and brushing the hair from her face. Though he wasn't as tall as Sevastian or Roderick, Condor did have a substantive height over Alesia, and his face was bent close to hers; his words must have been whispers. Sae could not make out Alesia's face but knew it was her from her red locks. She could see Condor's face, his expression both pained and forlorn. Yet he was touching her so intimately!

Sevastian caught her line of vision and halted, then began to tug Sae's arm forward. "We should not be seeing this."

"Yes, of course!" Sae responded, embarrassed, and so curious she thought her head might burst.

The Prince delivered her to her rooms, wishing her pleasant dreams, and keeping his lips sealed otherwise. She dared not bring up what they had just saw, but could hardly contain herself. Prince Sevastian probably knew nothing of his servants' love lives, so he would prove useless should she probe him anyhow. It was not her right to ask Alesia or Condor, so she must exercise her restraint to forget it for the time being. It was time to focus on the test.

The morning before the sixth task Sae received a letter from home. To her surprise this was neither from her sister, mother or father, but her younger twin brothers, Evart and Josef. Still inseparable, they had even chosen to write to her as a pair.

_Dearest sister Sae,_

_You'll be happy to know that mother and father are pleased with us for I Evart haven't said "ribbit" like a frog since you've left—**and **_**I Josef_ haven't buzzed like an insect either. _**_We explained to our parents what you explained to us before you left, that if I were a frog—**and I were an insect**—then it would mean that I would be eating Josef—**and I don't want Evart eating me sister, as frogs eat insects. **So instead we've decided to both be monkeys, though we've never seen or heard a monkey before. Last week an exotic merchant came to our lands. From the tales that merchant brought back from the east we guess that monkeys make a sort of screeching sound like a mix between those annoying birds that clutter around our river banks at home, and father's blood hound when he is yapping for his lunch**. Yes, we are sure that must be close to the sound. Mother and Father are not happy with us when we try out our monkey sounds at dinner, though Mealina seems to find them funny enough. Anyway, we are writing to you because Evart misses you terribly**—I do not! Josef is the one who suggested we—**anyway, it doesn't matter. Actually it was Mealina whom we stumbled upon writing to you not a week ago, and after some thought decided we should like to try it ourselves**. **But I've really got nothing left to say**—neither do I—**and so we hope you are having fun sister, and that you have played at least one decent trick on the Prince so far, or maybe even on the Queen**—though we've heard she is a very clever lady so maybe that won't be so easy. So, that's all for now, see you soon, hopefully for our thirteenth birthday next month—**you'd better be there and not be stingy on a present just because your away at the Palace**—goodbye for now sister. _

**_Cordially, _**

**_Josef _**_and Evart._

The letter, unpolished as it was, gave Sae a great lift in spirits. Her brothers were writing to her, and it could only mean one thing: they missed her, though they did their best to hide the fact, the message was clear. It brought small tears to her eyes, though she did not shed them, and with renewed strength to take the day on, she decided on going down to the stables for another morning ride.

o-o-o

Gallagher summoned Sae most uncouthly from her rooms when the task was to begin. Her lady's maids held her hands and walked with her to the throne room, telling her again and again how much of a pleasure she was to serve and how sure they were she would pass this task too. By the looks on their anxious faces however, Sae could sense there was something they were not telling her. Maybe, she thought with a pang of insecurity, they were just trying to build her courage up, but really didn't think she could do this. Sae checked her moment of weakness and pushed herself to walk on.

Before they had even entered the throne room Sae was overwhelmed by the sound of a large assembly. As the doors were opened for them Sae's ears were proven correct. The throne room was filled with people: a collection of nobles and commoners, noblemen sitting comfortably in the first half of the throne room, and as the walls stretched back, commoners crowded the remainder. Sitting on the throne was the Queen, Prince Sevastian was sitting next to her, and beside the Prince stood his Royal Advisor, and behind the Queen stood her oldest friend and first lady's maid, Mayah. As Sae travelled past the crowd of people and towards the front of the throne room, she passed Sir Lisario sitting near the front.

"Good luck Lady Sae! You are capable of winning this." He whispered loudly.

She rewarded him with a brief smile and pressed on. Her lady's maids waited at the back near the door. They took hold of each other hands, willing Sae to complete this task.

Once directly in front of the Queen, Sae came to a halt and gave a graceful curtsy. "Your Majesty."

Queen Ryona cleared her dry throat and addressed not just Sae, but the whole assembly of people.

"Today is the day we find out if this young woman has the people's confidence, in being a ruler of Fu Naru. Today Lady Sae, you will give a speech to these people, address a handful of loyal subjects of Fu Naru, and you must prove yourself to be the best choice for their future Queen. There are two others who will also make their case." At her words two young ladies in the front stood up and came to stand on either side of Sae.

The Queen's voice dropped barely above a whisper, so that only the people close enough to her could hear, including Sae. "These women are travelling performers, and have been instructed with what to say to these people. You must give a speech alongside them, and if the people choose you, then you will have proven yourself worthy."

The girl on the right side of Sae gave her a challenging smirk; the girl on her left displayed a friendlier smile.

"Now," continued the Queen louder, so that the crowd could here her once more. "We shall have three speeches today, and you, my loyal subjects, shall choose with your display of cheering, which girl you find most earnest and dedicated in her wish to be Queen. We shall go in order of how they stand. May the girl on the farthest right please take a stand over here on the raised floor, and tell us what she means to do for Fu Naru."

The smirking girl walked over to the platform, positioned herself in front of the assembly, and with a sweet fake smile began her speech. She was dressed modestly yet elegantly, with a morning gown made of soft pink folds. The girl tucked a loose stray of her brown curls behind her ear as she smiled at her onlookers and spoke with polite, intelligent words. Sae could tell by her eloquence that this girl was a seasoned performer. At the end she curtsied delicately to the crowd and they cheered her on.

"Lady Sae, you are in the middle and second. Please proceed." The Queen bid as the first girl reclaimed her spot next to Sae. She gave Sae an even bigger smirk, but the girl to Sae's left said, "Don't mind her; you can do even better than that."

Sae nodded her head in thanks and met with the Prince's eyes just then. He tilted his head and smiled. She smiled back and moved into position. Sae cleared her throat, stood straight and tall for all to see, and thus spoke;

"I bid the loyal subjects of Fu Naru welcome to this majestic palace. My name is Sae Adelyn Eldree, daughter of Count Arland Eldree of the west county and the late Countess Elena Beltran, my mother. Now, to some of you my linage may mean something, but to many of you this will not equate with the kind of ruler I shall be for you. I only mean to address, dear gentlemen and gentlewomen, and the loyal people of our kingdom, the simple fact that I am a true Fu Narian, born and bred. I carry with me the pride of my glorious nation, and the knowledge of its history, where it's been, and what it is capable of achieving. From my time here at the palace, my gracious hosts have opened my eyes to the potential of this country. I have lived a sheltered life in the western regions. However, I have known the farmers in my father's county. I have been acquainted with the lives they live, what they depend on. Since coming here, I have learned firsthand the life of a villager, of families not as fortunate, and what our land has to offer by hardworking hands."

As a Queen I think my foremost ambition would be to connect more with the people. I find it strange that it has taken me this long to meet villagers and see a harvest first hand. I think it would be prudent for all noblemen to see first hand what the backbone of this country is. I would invest my time and efforts into seeing that this nation thrives through its agriculture, for our rich lands can supply all if tended to correctly. Also, as a queen I would contribute to securing peace with our neighbouring nations. It would take anyone a simple read through our history to note that Fu Naru has had its most prosperous times when it has focused on peace with its neighbours. We do not need to conquer and expand; we need to stabilize our own country, so that if there are any threats we have the greatest defence. It should never come to that however. Our relations with our neighbours are impeccable and as a ruler I would see to continuing them."

I would also improve the law system, so that subjects miles from their ruler would not have to travel a long journey to settle simple matters of cattle and property. Neighbouring lords would be given certain small privileges so that they may settle the matters of their region. If the issue proves more problematic than that, the common folk would then come to the palace next. This way, the people of Fu Naru will not have to waste too much time and effort unless it is of extreme importance, and the lord given minimal jurisdiction will be compensated for his troubles."

Lastly, as a queen I know my sole role is to provide aid to my king and give him an heir. I plan to perform my duty as queen consort proudly, and I would raise a son who would know the strengths and weaknesses of his country, be connected with all people so he would consider them in every decision he makes, and be taught that peace is the best state for prosperity to occur. Even with all these promises I am, however, a mere girl; I cannot move mountains and part the sea. I need the help of each and every soul in this country, to aid me as a ruler, to make this nation thrive and blossom into the next century. With your help good people, I wish to be your queen and I promise I will put my heart completely in it." This she said most sincerely, for it was then that Sae decided to choose her country over her heart. She wanted to be queen and help her country more than she wanted love. Or so she thought.

There was a dead stillness in the air for a lingering moment. Then the assembly broke out in a tremendous cheer and Sae felt her cheeks grow hot. She looked over at Prince Sevastian and he was beaming. Taking this as a cue, she stepped away from the platform and walked back to her place between the two performers.

The girl who had not gone yet raised her eyebrow in compliment and smiled encouragingly. Sae grinned back, ignoring the girl to her right. Lastly, when the cheering died down, the Queen motioned for the third girl to go. Sae was feeling so anxious post-speech that she didn't hear a word of it, though she noted the third girl sounded even humbler and honest than the first. When the girl finished and was cheered, the Queen stood up and addressed the crowd.

"Loyal subjects, you have heard these girls speak. Who do you find the most earnest? Who do you believe in? The first lady?"

The crowd cheered for her mildly.

"How about our second lady?" Queen Ryona drawled and the assembly began to cheer, while from the corner a couple of voices began to chant "_Queen Sae! Queen Sae!"_

The Queen then attempted to call for the third girl but the cheering turned into half the assembly chanting. "_Queen Sae! Queen Sae!"_

The assembly had spoken.

"Well, it is clear you've won this one Lady Sae." The Queen said, turning her green eyes back to her. "Congratulations, you have now completed task six. Now if you will please, it shall take a couple hours to clear the throne room. Present yourself back here at six sharp, before we dine tonight. May I suggest a nice long bath to cool your nerves?"

Sae was speechless. She had defeated all six tasks, she would be Queen.

As she met with her ladies in waiting it slowly started to sink in. She had won. She had done it. The impossible tasks had been defeated. How was it possible? She thought at this point relief should be washing over her…and yet, she was apprehensive. Her heart wasn't in this, she realized. It longed to be queen, but not Prince Sevastian's bride. She must force herself to accept it.

"Simply marvellous, Lady Sae." Beda patted her on the arm warmly and had a sincere look of joy upon her face.

Phélie ignored maid protocol and threw her arms around Sae. "I'm so happy! I knew you could get this far! Did you hear them chanting _Queen Sae_! They want you for our Queen! Now you just have to—"

Alesia cut her off by grabbing her arm and saying, "Let Sae breathe Phélie! You did wonderful Sae, truly, we couldn't be happier. We were rooting for you, in case you didn't already realize."

Sae laughed. "That would have been difficult not to notice, especially as all three of you have been telling me so for the past month now. But Phélie, what do I have to do?"

Phélie blushed. "Oh Sae, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything, really. Trust me, I meant nothing by it. I mean, you're done, aren't you?"

Phélie was not a good liar, Sae came to realize that moment outside the throne room. "There is something you are all hiding from me."

Beda and Phélie looked away and Alesia looked her straight on and said, "Whether we are or aren't, it is not our place to say. You will soon find out, and when you do, we will still be rooting for you."

_So, there is something else,_ Sae thought. The King had mentioned something a week ago about a seventh task, but Mayah had claimed that the King was soft in the head. The maid had told her not worry about it, so Sae had put it out of her mind. Perhaps he had been telling the truth. She couldn't blame Mayah for covering it up. After all Mayah was a servant to the Queen, and just like Sae's lady's maids she too would have to keep the secret. The King had spoken of disguises too, and fakes princes. Could that mean...?

Just then Prince Sevastian popped out of the throne room. "I'm glad I caught you Sae before you departed for your rooms. The assembly is going to leave soon and we should clear the hall. But before that I just wanted to commend you on a job well done. You did better than even I imagined."

"Thank you. Sevastian, may I ask a question?"

She noticed her maids cringe from the corner of her eye but they made no attempt to stop her. So when the prince smiled and bade her to continue, she did. "Are you really Prince Sevastian?"

The young man standing before her shook his head and said kindly, "I am _a _Sevastian, but I am not Prince Sevastian, dear Sae. I hope you can find him before it's too late." Then he leant down, gave her a brotherly kiss on the cheek, and went back into the throne room.


	15. Part Three: 2

**Part Three**

* * *

Back in her room Sae was in a daze. What cruelty was this? If the act of completing tasks wasn't dreadful enough in winning the hand of the prince, now she didn't even know who the prince was. Who would be her husband? What if she loathed him? Who could possibly be Prince Sevastian, if _Prince Sevastian_ wasn't Prince Sevastian? And how could he only be _a _Sevastian? None of it made sense.

Her lady's maids went about preparing a hot bath for her in silence. None of them were looking at her. The awkward atmosphere was unnerving.

"Oh, enough of this!" Sae broke the tension. "Look, Prince Se—I mean, the _gentleman masquerading as Prince Sevastian_ has already revealed the truth to me. You three must stop avoiding me as if you have anything to be guilty about."

Phélie was the first to break. Throwing herself at Sae, she hugged her mistress and proclaimed, "Oh Sae! How I've wanted to tell you everything!"

"Then tell me," Sae sighed, hugging her back.

Beda coughed into her hand and Alesia said, "But we can't Sae. This is your final task, and you cannot receive help from anyone. You have to figure it out yourself, and all we can do is sit around and be useless to you."

"I see. Well, I wouldn't call you useless; you've been the greatest friends I've ever had. You've kept me distracted when I would have fretted otherwise, and you've taken good care of me as my maids. I suppose you could at least tell me if you are in fact maids, and not masquerading as anything else? Perhaps previous princesses who have failed these tasks?"

They all laughed. "At least that much we can tell you Sae," Beda answered. "We were all born maids to serve this palace and we'll most likely die as such. There are no masks here."

Sae nodded. "No, it seemed unlikely. The King mentioned sons and servants, maids and monarchs, which is why I thought…but perhaps it really is just the princes."

"Well Sae," Alesia said in a very low voice, "you didn't hear this from me, but I would stick with everything good King Basil told you."

Her ladies-in-waiting said nothing more on the subject and Sae ventured no more. She had been given something, and was now eager to meet the Queen that evening.

o-o-o

Sae arrived at the throne room promptly at six. For all her impatience she was not early. The Queen, Prince Sevastian, Prince Fabian, as well as The Royal Advisor were already gathered and wanting only her presence.

"Ah Lady Sae, you have come." The Queen said upon her arrival. "Please approach."

Sae stepped forward to where the lush royal blue carpet ended, a few feet away from the steps which led up to the Queen's throne, her sons sitting on either side.

'I would congratulate you," she began faintly, "but I think you are clever Lady Sae, clever enough to realize there is a ruse in these palace walls."

Sae didn't even blink. "Yes your majesty, there is a seventh task. The king disclosed as much to me when I paid my formal visit to him."

"Yes, you are quite right." Queen Ryona's pale lips crumpled in a smile. "However, this is a task you will not be prepared for; it is a task you have been involved in since you first set foot on the palace grounds. You alone must figure out what is going on; no one shall help. The Royal Advisor will not be relaying any details as in previous tasks. You have ten days Sae, ten days from today to figure it out. Pass this, and you win your place as Prince Sevastian's bride."

Without missing a beat, the young maiden countered, "Yes, only who is Prince Sevastian, I wonder. I would hate to complete task seven only to find I am marrying someone I am incompatible with."

Ryona had the unnatural air of someone being taken aback. "Then you have figured out that much already? In that case, the task is half done, isn't it?"

"So, the final task is figuring out who the real Prince is?"

Instead of answering her, the Queen smiled. "Good luck Sae, you may go now."

The following days proved to confuse Sae, not enlighten her. Resolving to vanquish the seventh task, Sae began to keep a sharp eye on the happenings of the palace. She heard and saw many things that made no sense. Condor, she found, was in the habit of meeting Prince Sevastian daily in the stables, and they conversed in low earnest voices, until they jumped at the realization that Sae was standing not a few feet away. She offered the excuse that she was there for her morning ride. Their anxious dispositions led her to believe they were talking of her and the seventh task, and she yearned to hear their words, but the few lucky snatches she caught only perplexed her more. She distinctly heard words like "push together", "opportunity", and "falling". She couldn't put them into context.

The fake Prince Sevastian was as nice to her as ever; he smiled at her greatly and encouraged her to try her best, and to follow her heart as much as her mind. Sae found herself enjoying morning rides with him, even though he was an imposter who had deceived her. He was no longer the man she was aiming to marry and she felt relieved, for there was no desire kindled within her for him.

In her exploration to find the real Prince Sevastian, Sae's initial suspicion fell on Sir Lisario. He had claimed to be a relative and had the trait hair and eyes of the Fu Naru royals. Sae had meant to observe him, catch him slip in his act, however as often as she used to run into him, now that she was on the lookout he was impossible to find. It was as if he had vanished since the sixth task, covering up his trail. Sae enquired after the knights in general to both the fake Sevastian and the Queen. They both answered that the knights had not left the castle for any quests; they must all be busy training if she hadn't seen them recently. Sae did see other knights occasionally. Lisario alone was the missing piece from the knight puzzle.

On one of her searches for Lisario, Sae encountered the palace brats Con and Wit causing mischief down one of the halls. Seeing them sparked something in her memory. They had once, during their obnoxious games, bowed to Gallagher the head servant and called him "your highness." He had gone very red and told them to hold their tongues. The thought that followed made Sae shudder in distaste, but she felt it her duty to solve the task and so stopped the children to enquire about their motives on that occasion.

The brats, as usual, were not in favour of answering her. Instead Cornelia stuck her tongue out at Sae, and Whitmark began to blow spit raspberries from his mouth.

"You'll never figure it out!" Con smirked and on cue they began to chant, "You won't you wont you won't!"

It seemed the pests wouldn't be of help to her, so Sae sought elsewhere. Back in her room she asked her lady's maids about the old head servant.

"What of him, Sae?" Alesia frowned. "He broke his back not long ago, so his son Gallagher took over."

"Yes, I've been informed of that. What I meant to ask about was his eye colour."

Her maids all stared at her, trying to fathom Sae's purpose for asking such a question. After a long pause Alesia answered, "I suppose they're blue when I think of it."

"Blue, are they?" Sae's own eyes lit up. "Funny, since Gallagher's eyes are hazel, just like the hazel Fu Naru royalty is well known for."

They could not keep a straight face. Phélie and Alesia burst into laughter, while Beda's face contorted into utter disproval and slight disgust.

"Oh Sae," Phélie managed, between sharp breathes. "Gallagher the Scrawny, Gallagher the Grumpy, rude, insignificant Gallagher, as the Prince—Oh! It's just too much."

Their laughter hurt her feelings. She was trying her best to make connections, and while they were forbidden from directly helping her in any way, they didn't have to mock her guesses. Though it did help, _indirectly_, in any case.

"Please don't be cross," Beda, the only one not laughing, said calmly. "I can see you are upset by our reaction Sae, but you must understand…he has hazel eyes yes, but so do other servants. It doesn't attest to anything."

"For sure Sae," Alesia added, her fit of laughter dying. "Gallagher is the last person fit to rule anything. He is the most disagreeable little runt, but we shan't laugh at you any longer. Phélie?"

Covering her smile, Phélie nodded earnestly. "Try again Sae. You can get it right if you keep trying!"

"Yes, get it right on my own, no one to aid me. Anyone could be Prince Sevastian then. Maybe he doesn't even exist. I'm growing tired of this ruse."

"Why not take this opportunity to clear your mind with a nice long bath?" Beda offered, and her suggestion was accepted.

That night at dinner the Queen probed Sae to make her guess and Sae admitted she hadn't formed an answer. The Queen reminded her that, with almost seven days passed, she had three remaining to complete the seventh task. Sae confessed that without the help of the Royal Advisor, she was unsure on how to proceed.

"You see, this time Roderick hasn't sent a servant to call me to his study, which he had done in previous tasks. I know it's because he is not allowed to help me, but I'm still unclear about the particular rules for this one."

"I will answer any questions you have, Lady Sae. I am your best hope because I am the one in control. I know what can be told to you."

"I just wish to know, if I err, am I not allowed another guess?"

'You get but one guess and one chance to be future Queen."

Later in the evening Sae received a visit from Mayah. Feeling wronged and emotionally sore by the turns of events, Sae marked the elder maid as her target for ranting. The good natured Mayah took it all in stride, smiling lightly as if she thought it amusing.

"This whole ordeal is just so frustrating. I feel as though I should leave, since no one has been honest with me. You'll all get on just fine without me here, and there'll be a new, unlucky girl to torment with tasks and illusions."

"Oh, we'll go on without you, but none of us will remain the same."

This touched Sae, and she felt her frustration dissolve for the moment. "I have a lot to ponder over. I just wish I had some guidance in this. I wish they would let Roderick help me even a little bit. I haven't even seen him lately, or Sir Lisario for that matter."

"Ah, well The Royal Advisor has been advised to keep his distance lest you try and probe him for guidance. Besides…he is busy with his uncle's matters."

Though it was ungracious, the mention of Roderick's relatives sparked Sae to ask, "Oh, and do you know what the matters are?"

Mayah smiled. "His uncle, Baron Bertrand, writes to him and his young siblings, Cornelia and Whitmark twice a month to make sure they are doing well. It is a lot to ask of a young man to become almost a father to his little brother and sister, but the Royal Advisor does his best, and the Baron makes sure to offer all his support wherever needed, though he lives so far away. This time however, I suspect the Baron writes for other reasons."

When Mayah wouldn't elaborate Sae supposed she would be stretching etiquette to ask again, so she bit back her curiosity and instead remarked. "Well, tomorrow is my eighth day in this task. I suppose I should sleep now."

"That would be wise, my dear." Mayah winked, standing up from her seat. "Get some good rest. You'll feel better in the morning."

o-o-o

When she woke up the following morning Sae prepared herself for another day of investigation. Her dinner with the Queen the night before awakened her to the urgency of the looming clock.

After her maids assisted her with bathing and dressing, Sae made her daily trip down to the stables, expecting to catch Condor and the fake Prince Sevastian in one of their tête-à-têtes. They were obviously conversing about Sae, and it perturbed her greatly that the two men whom she'd established close friendships with at the palace were chatting behind her back. Today she was surprised to find Condor alone, grooming the horses.

"Don't tell me the fake Sevastian has gone off on an early ride without me?" She asked upon encountering him.

He shook his head lightly. "Sevastian—err, the _fake_ one, as you call him, will not be joining you today for the ride."

"Well of course I call him the fake Sevastian. I can no longer call him _Prince_ Sevastian, and though he tells me he is _a_ Sevastian, there is also a Prince here by that name. But I digress; why cannot he join me this morning Condor?"

"He's sending the Royal Advisor off this morning."

All at once the air around Sae solidified into stone. Her voice was not her own when she asked, "sending him off where?"

Condor looked uncomfortable, but he went on. "Well, the Royal Advisor's uncle wrote to him and asked for his presence. It's quite a long trip from here. So the Royal Advisor asked for leave and Prince Sevastian is tending to his departure. The carriage is most likely gone now."

"But I don't understand," her voice verged on hysterics. "What could be so important that he needs to run to his uncle's county!" What could be so important for him to desert her during her final task?

"Family matters I imagine," Condor said blankly, then added in a lower voice. "I did come across Sevastian earlier this morning. After telling me he wouldn't be riding, he did mention something about the letter pertaining to a possible match favoured by the Baron."

"A match?!" Her heart felt like it was coming undone at the seams. "You mean his uncle has called him to meet a prospective bride?"

Condor shrugged, not meeting her eye. "That's what it sounded like, but Sae, don't take my word for—" His words were lost on her.

She had already started running back to the Palace.

Suddenly the tasks didn't matter. Winning the prince for a husband and the chance to be queen were nothing to her. How could she be happy when she was in love with the Royal Advisor? Condor supposed that the carriage had already left, but she had to try.

Sae was out of breath as she dashed through the palace halls, frightening half the servants she met on the way. She didn't care.

It took a lifetime to get from the stables to the front entrance of the palace, and even then she knew she still had some ways to go. Past the main foyer, past the three sets of entrance doors leading to the outside, then the two dozen limestone steps, she still had to make it to the gates a hundred metres away, where carriages stopped to meet their passengers. While Sevastian was nowhere to be seen, having gone inside already, she did see the large peach carriage with elaborate gold embellishments waiting patiently, invitingly at the gates, and pausing for a moment's air she continued towards it, down the dust road.

She made it halfway there before the innocent driver, unaware of her plight, tugged at his reigns and the horses began to pull the carriage away.

"No!"

Her throaty cry was full of anguish, though the carriage ignored her and continued to fade away into the distance. She knew she was utterly defeated, but Sae refused to give up. She had been cursed by the very love she had always disregarded, but by God she would not let it abandon her now. Madness overtook her. She began running again, chasing after an impossibly faster carriage.

"Come back!" She screamed, her choked breath coming out in sobs. "Please!"

Her legs lagged but she would not let them rest. She willed them to take another step, and another, and another. Suddenly, strange arms grabbed her from behind, pulling her back to her senses.

"What do you think you'll accomplish by doing that?" A voice questioned in her ear.

"Let go! I have to stop him!" She thrashed, turning around to face her captor.

Roderick kept his arms steady around her, catching her widened gaze with earnest eyes. He was not a man to often smile, but at that moment his serious expression was rendered softer by the slight tilt of his mouth.

"R-Roderick? Why are you…but…then who's that in the carriage?"

"It's the other Sevastian of course." He said calmly.

"But that's not…" Suddenly it dawned on her. "You're one of the princes?!"

"Haven't you figured it out Sae?"

"You're Prince Sevastian!" She accused furiously, pushing him away. "All this time, you've been the one tricking me…I confessed my feelings to you and you still played this grotesque game! You've given me so much heartache, and for what? You've been the Prince all along."

"Please Sae, let me explain. This was not my intention; this was not my idea, nor my notion of how to court ladies."

Sae wouldn't listen. Wiping away her tears, she charged "All this time you've known how I felt, you _all_ knew I fell in love with the right prince, the right man, and you all kept me in this loop."

"I know, I know Sae." He tried to soothe, reaching for her again, but she flinched from his hands.

"How could you try and comfort me now after—! I thought you were the Royal Advisor, bound by duty to the royal family, and that was your honourable reason for not accepting my feelings. I thought you were leaving this morning…the pain I felt when Condor told me that, the pain I'm feeling now, it's just too much! You aren't an honourable servant; you're just a lousy prince hiding behind a mask, playing with my affections because of some sport set up by her majesty."

"Please Sae, give me a chance. You are right of course. This ruse was despicable, unfair, and a very, very bad idea of my mother. She had good intentions though."

"Good intentions!" Sae repeated scathingly.

"Yes, good intentions," he went on. "There was a time before, years and years ago when I was still half a child, my brother even younger, when families began pushing their daughters on us, sweet young girls who were instructed to act like they were in love with us, to pretend they would make perfect little wives, though they were barely old enough to be ones. My brother and I grew to shrink from every ball, every occasion where such girls would be invited and encouraged to chase us. My mother began to disprove of this as well. Superficial persons perturbed her."

"Of all the nerve" Sae countered indignantly. "With all due respect to her majesty, this was her plan and yet _she's_ the one who dislikes superficiality?"

The Prince shrugged. "I know it sounds hypocritical. Her thinking was, if they can do this to us, let us use their own medicine against them. She wanted to find me a good wife and a good queen, but she knew that in order to do that, she would need to get to know the girl herself. All these artificial ladies being presented before us would not do for her. Better, she thought, to have them come one at a time, stay for a couple of months under the pretension of proving themselves worthy of being queen, and in that time she could see what kind of girls they were, what they were made of. My mother chose you as the one from the first month you came, but she needed to make sure you fell in love with the right man, not because he was the one presented as the prince, but because you felt naturally drawn to him—to me. She felt she was doing me a favour, by making sure I got a wife who cared for me."

"If she really thought I was the one, why continue this ruse to the end? Why make me try and guess who you are? I confessed my love to you so long ago Rod—I mean, _Sevastian_."

"My full name is Prince Roderick Sevastian Montagne. Most of the nobility have heard of me as Prince Sevastian, but Roderick is my first name. Sir Lisario is also Lisario Sevastian, and the Royal Advisor is Sevastian Bertrand. Our parents thought it cute, to all share a name."

"And confusing as sin."

"That too," he said dryly. "Sae, you did confess your love to me. And nothing but absolute respect for my mother could have stopped me from telling you everything then. I made a promise to her, but when you confessed to me I was both euphoric for your love yet in misery because my mouth must be sealed. That evening I went to my mother and told her I was tired of it, ready to tell you everything, that I wanted it to be done. But mother likes her games. More than that though, I think she wanted you to prove yourself entirely. She wanted to see you win the whole thing, to be the great woman she knew you to be. She didn't want to take away your glory of finishing the tasks. And perhaps she just wanted to make sure you really were in love with me, and weren't just infatuated. I cannot account for her behaviour perfectly; you will have to ask her that yourself."

"You will account for your own though," Sae demanded. "You knew I was in love with you, yet you hung on to this pretension of being a Royal Advisor doing his duty. Why didn't you tell me? You have respect for you mother's wishes I understand, but are you such a little boy, doing everything his mother tells him to do?"

The comment struck a cord in Prince Roderick, but he refused to react. Instead he looked away from her, admitting, "Perhaps you are right, and I am accustomed to obliging my mother like a loving son, maybe even a childish son. I wanted to tell you then, but my mother had advised me otherwise; she wasn't sure if you loved me so wholly, Sae. There have been women, women who did not know I was the Prince, who have tried to make a pass at me and it has bothered me every time, for I knew they were just trying indirectly to get closer to the royal family. If they can't have the prince, why not settle for the cousin to the royal family? He's high up in the line of succession for the kingdom."

When Sae did not dispute that, he went on, "I had faith in my mother's plan. It had saved me from marrying six girls before you Sae; six girls who did not love me in the least and were only after the crown. You started out that way as well, of course. The difference was that you were a worthy woman, proving yourself an able ruler; that, and you actually liked me."

"You have excuses for everything, don't you?" Sae stubbornly retorted after a moment of fuming contemplation. "We could stand here all morning arguing about this, but the point is you led me on and muddled me terribly. The ends do not justify the means, your _Princeliness_, and you certainly were not justified in putting me through all this. I don't think I have anything left to say to you. I'm tired of these tasks…and I'm going home."

"Sae please, after everything, still—"

"Yes still. I still want to leave. Don't try and detain me again _Prince_ _Sevastian_. I've got no carriage to chase, but I want my own carriage home by the end of the day or I'm writing to my father to come and get me himself."

Roderick looked at her forlornly, as if wishing to exude the words that would make her stay. Instead he said, "Alright, I will speak to my mother and arrange preparations for you to leave tonight. We won't keep you prisoner here if you wish to leave."

"No, I'm sure you still have some limits." She remarked coldly, walking past him and towards the palace doors.

"Truly Sae, I am sorry. Forgive me." The words were uttered under his breath. She didn't hear them.

So the situation, Roderick gathered, was hopeless.


	16. Part Three: 3

**Part Three**

* * *

Sae could hardly calm herself from her morning encounter with _Roderick_, who she must now think of as _Prince Roderick_. She had never felt this faint before, this emotionally drained. Never had she let her emotions get the best of her, but he made her feel such heat. She recounted her earlier scorching words to him and regretted how badly she had handled herself. However, her fiery temper may have been gone but her resentment was still burning relentlessly. While she wished she had not dismissed him so readily, she could not forgive him, and learning that he was not the person she thought he was made him a stranger.

This is what scared her the most, and caused her to recoil from him; she felt like she no longer knew him. Sae was slowly convincing herself that she had fallen in love with an illusion, not an actual person. Therefore, she had to stay away from the Prince, lest she let her false feelings cloud her judgement.

These thoughts churned agonizingly that evening while her maids took to the task of packing her things in a sombre manner. They were not happy with her decision to go, especially knowing she was in love with the real Prince, and that she had technically won all the tasks, as Prince Roderick Sevastian Montagne revealed himself to her before she had used her guess.

Phélie could not prevent the trickle of tear drops escaping from her every few moments, though she pretended to rub her eyes from mere tiredness. Alesia's bright smile was nowhere to be seen that evening. She kept on opening her mouth as if to protest, but would resolutely close it a second later, taking Sae's feelings into consideration. Beda was deeply distracted and kept making mistakes with the packing order, putting things together that should be kept in separate cases, and forgetting half of Sae's dresses, needing to go back and add them in.

Though she wasn't supposed to help them, Sae found herself handing them stuff, going through her possessions to see that she hadn't left anything behind, and doing anything else that would keep her mind off her brooding thoughts.

Just as they were finishing up, there was a sharp knock on the door, and Mayah appeared. "Your carriage is being readied and soon you will be departing, dear Sae."

Even Mayah's voice sounded gloomier, though Sae thought there was another change in it, a more elegant lilt that she supposed Mayah reserved for impressing the royalty. Sae realized with an ache that she would miss Mayah very much.

"Before you go Sae, I was hoping I could speak with you. Just the two of us," she added, looking at the three lady's maids.

Beda, Alesia and Phélie stopped at once. They moved away from Sae's belongings, bowed to them, and Alesia added, "We'll come back to finish your packing and bestow proper goodbyes."

"Yes, thank you." Sae nodded in consent.

When Mayah and Sae were alone, Mayah gestured for her to sit on a chaise lounge in the main room. Once both of them were comfortably seated, Mayah began.

"I wanted to first tell you that, whether you wish to know or not, you have won all the seven tasks. As the Prince let slip who he was, by default you win. You've earned your position as a queen and wife to Prince Roderick, should you like to claim it."

"Thank you Mayah, but I will decline. This has all been too…strenuous for me. I want to go back home."

Mayah's posture drooped at the maiden's answer, and she looked down at her hands as she said, "I am sorry that you've come to feel this way Sae. I do apologize, as much as I am allowed to apologize, as much as you will accept it of me, for putting you through all of this."

Sae frowned, shaking her head, "You are no more to blame than Alesia, or Beda, or Phélie. In fact, you have helped me through so much Mayah, considering the Queen forbade you from telling me anything. You have been my emotional support."

Mayah let out a conquered sigh. "No Sae, you see, this whole masquerade is all my doing. I needed to be sure of the lady who would one day marry my son and take my place in ruling Fu Naru. I needed to test her so that I could observe her, and know her with her guard down. I knew that, being the Queen, she would never let her guard down in my presence, but around servants she would not act like anyone but herself. Yes dear girl, I am the one who has put you through all of this."

Sae was stunned. Then, slowly, she formed the words. "You mean, you are…that is, you are Queen Ryona?"

Mayah bowed her head. "I am she. I switched places with my head lady-in-waiting, and we're been playing each other for quite a long time now; for all the seven ladies who have taken the tests. Sae, I am convinced that you are the woman to take my place as queen. You are genuine, hard working, fair, and have many other attributes ideal for a ruler. But more than any of that, my son is devastatingly in love with you, and he has never been in love with anyone before. He was always a boy who didn't give much thought or freedom to his emotions, but there's been a change in him recently, as you must know."

When Sae, still too shocked, did not answer, Mayah, or Queen Ryona, pressed onwards.

"I am in awe by the emotions that have been awakened in him. I can tell by his actions, hear it in his words, see it in his eyes, feel his restless manner, that these feelings he is struggling with, because they are so new to him. He so desperately wants to be with you it's overwhelming him. I've never seen him like he is now Sae, and I know you love him too. I have seen it when you are near him. You once told me what you offered him while he was pretending to be his cousin; you would leave the competition to be with him. This was not a mistake, was it Sae? You were not mistaken in your love for him, were you?"

"I—I….I don't know anymore Ma—I mean, your highness."

"Yes, love can be a confusing thing. Dear girl, you came here and told me you were not made for love, and here you have found it. Why leave now?"

Mayah's confession was so astounding it almost completely extinguished Sae's anger. However, Ryona had just resurrected Sae's reasons for leaving by asking for them. Sae felt resentment begin to surface, and having never felt irritated with Mayah before, she was uncomfortable with this budding bitterness for the disguised queen.

"I am tired, your majesty, tired of all these tricks, of doubting myself and having to doubt those I came to trust between these walls." Sae's voice carried her hurt and frustrations. "I trusted _Mayah_, but Mayah is not who she seemed to be. I fell in love with Roderick, but Roderick is not Roderick. I am—forgive me your majesty—upset and I want to go back to the normality of my home. At least there I know things are real, and I can trust my family…I can breathe normal again. I miss home dearly."

The Queen nodded. "If that is what you wish for child, then home you shall have. The carriages will be ready by now, though I would ask you to do one last favour for the Mayah you came to care for, and what she wants, what _I _ask for, is that you sleep on this tonight. A night of sleep can get rid such angers and make things appear differently. Also, I do not like the thought of you travelling home by moonlight. There may be bandits out there only too happy to attack night travellers."

"I own I was hasty this morning in demanding a carriage ride home for the very same day. I was just so upset with him, I wanted to be out of here instantly. I knew packing and preparations would take half a day, and the earliest I could possibly part would be nightfall. I do see reason in leaving in the morning instead, and I will do this favour for you, your majesty, because you were there for me as Mayah. However, do not expect me to change my mind. You have caused me pain and I do not wish to belong to a family who has been so dishonest with me. I feel like I know none of you—forgive me for saying so your majesty but this is how I feel."

"I understand dear, I do, which is why I hold no offence, but only accept it as the truth of which I am ashamed of. I am just glad to know you will stay the night and be safe. I shall call your maids back now; they will be delighted to have you for one more night. And in the morning, off you go, away from us. Though I think I should warn you, should you run home, my son may follow."

"I'll be expecting him." Sae found herself admitting, but hastily added, "I mean—"

Ryona wouldn't let her retract it however, and so cut her off saying, "Good, then that gives me hope that should he give chase, you shall forgive him."

"Oh! Please do not tell him I said that." Sae pleaded in mortification.

"Tosh! I will not interfere with plights of the young. I have every confidence that he'll be after you without any need of encouragement from me or anyone else."

"Hmm…well, I don't know if that makes me happy or makes me feel annoyed."

"Once you have calmed down, I'm sure you will know the answer to that. In any case, goodnight my child. I shall leave and let the maids continue packing."

Sae walked with her to the door. "Goodnight your majesty." Sae said, but once Queen Ryona was out of the room, Sae added glumly, "Goodbye dear Mayah".

o-o-o

The gold encrusted pearly palace carriage sat pleasantly gleaming in the morning sun, as if promising a safe and agreeable trip home. The sight of it bathed Sae with fresh nostalgia. She paused at the front of the palace gates, anticipating the comforts of home. An approaching soft voice woke her up from her musings.

"I'm not too late then. I've come before your departure." Condor smiled kindly. "I've come to say goodbye Sae."

She turned from the servants loading her belongings onto the carriage and fixed her gaze on him. "So you too knew all along, didn't you Condor? I confided in you about Roderick and you knew he was the real prince."

"But I had not the freedom to speak it. I did very badly want you two to find each other. I still want you to be with him."

"Yes well, I am missing home and I think I need to clear my head before I make any decisions."

"What's there to decide?" He pressed, "You love him, he loves you, you won the competition. It's all settled."

"If only life were that easy, Condor." Her smile was sad. "If I regret few things, it is that you and I shall part now. You have become a dear friend to me."

"I'm honoured you think of me as a friend Sae, but it would have been better still to have you as a sister, especially after all the work Sevastian and I did trying to get you and my brother together. It was all for nothing now."

Sae blinked. "Wait—what?"

"Oh," he laughed weakly, "by the way, I'm Prince Condor Fabian Montagne…truly. The Fabian you saw was really a stable boy called Oren; we switched as well. The stables were my post where I was to assess each of the contenders, and you were by far my favourite."

_ More lies! I cannot believe the lengths they've all gone to_, Sae thought. Aloud, she asked, "Anyone else pretending to be someone they are not? Is Lisario really your knight cousin, and is Gallagher really the head servant? I've always wondered why he is so nervy, as if he's keeping some secret."

Condor chuckled. "Lisario is really himself. You yourself once said that I looked a bit like him and asked if we were related. We are; he's my cousin, cousin to the royal family. His full name is Lisario Sevastian. Gallagher is naturally nervy in personality, and he _has_ been hiding a secret; mine, my mothers and my brother's secret, the secret of Fu Naru Palace. As head servant he felt responsible in making sure all the lady contenders never figured it out before they were supposed to, so he's been very anxious about anything that remotely hints at it."

Sae was interrupted from her reply by the sounds of running footsteps. They looked behind them and saw Lisario advancing from the main palace doors.

"I'm glad I caught you by the gate," He breathed, stopping a few feet back. "I've come bid you goodbye, Sae."

"Lisario, it's good to see you one last time." Sae said warmly despite her current mood. "May I ask where you have been these past few days? I had been looking for you but you seemed to have disappeared."

He sighed, handing her a rueful smile. "That was her majesty's doing. She felt it best I stay out of your way; didn't think you needed the distraction while you were trying to solve the task. She thought it would make things easier to take me out of the picture and out of the equation, but I was worried it would only rise your suspicions."

"It did in the beginning, but she was right in the end; with you not there I began to suspect others. I'm happy you've come to see me off though. Now I've said goodbye to everyone I wanted to. I only wish my lady's maids were allowed to see me off as well. They gave me their tearful goodbyes this morning and I'm afraid I'm going to miss them, and you two, terribly."

"I wish you would reconsider," the knight bid, "but I know better than to make any vain attempts in convincing you of it. Look, the servants have finished filling the carriage with your belongings. How about we help you in and give you a proper sending off?"

"Thank you, I suppose it is time for me to go." Sae said, suddenly miserable and looking back at the palace.

"Her majesty wanted to make sure your departure was unmarred, as you are anxious to be home. She set Prince Roderick on a small outing earlier this morning."

Sae scolded the disappointment that flooded her heart, and she nodded in an attempt to look content, saying "I am pleased she did that for me. Well, I am off now."

The carriage, now readied, was soon before them, and the manservant next to the driver descended from his seat, but Condor held up his hand in protest. "No need. We will assist her into the carriage."

Sae turned to them and said sincerely, "Goodbye Con—Prince Condor, and goodbye Sir Lisario. You two have been treasured companions during my stay."

"Goodbye my sister." Condor grinned, taking her hand and helping her in. Lisario saluted goodbye as she waved to them from her carriage window.

And she began her journey home.

o-o-o

Count Arland and Lady Kiva were waiting with open arms the moment Sae tumbled out of the palace carriage and into their embrace. The ride had been long, though peaceful, and tears welled in her eyes when she began to recognize the hills and slopes of the western region, her home. She had left it at the dawn of summer but now reds, oranges, and yellows dotted the lush mountains and smothered the forested valleys. The sky was cloudless and rich with blue, pink and orange, and the sun was half hiding behind a grouping of trees. Even the crisp air of her father's land carried a different fragrance. She took a deep breath and smelled the purity of vegetation, fresher and wilder than the overdone flora of the palace's impeccably kept gardens. If she had been Queen, she would have seen to it that more wild trees were planted. But no! She mustn't start thinking like that, she berated herself.

When Lady Sae reached the gates of Eldree Manor the family servants were already gathered outside to welcome her home. The driver halted the carriage and the manservant stepped down and helped Sae out. Her parents appeared, smiling warmly and pulling her towards them.

"My dearest, you didn't even send word ahead that you were coming! We only received news of it from her majesty's courier an hour ago!" Lady Kiva chided, kissing Sae and rubbing the girl's head affectionately.

"I left in a bit of a hurry." Sae admitted, looking at her father warily.

Count Arland held her at arms length. "You appear healthy my dear, though a little unhappy. Come inside and tell us all. I dare say Mealina will be frantic to see you. She is somewhere on the grounds with your brothers, up to no good I imagine."

Sae was overcome with a fondness that filled her; it was good to be home. Her parents walked on either side of her, their arms around her shoulders. The servants all smiled and wished her a happy return.

"We have already dined for the evening, but should you care to eat, I will get Iona to prepare something."

"Yes, I would like some food, but I will go down to the kitchens and ask Iona myself. I want to say hello to her and the others."

"When you are done, you will find your mother and I in the drawing room, and then you can tell us all about your trip." Count Arland said.

Sae assented to the arrangement and made her way down to the kitchens.

When Sae joined her parents in the main drawing room, she seated herself comfortably next to them and prepared herself. However, before she could commence, the doors burst open and a flash of gold hurtled into the room. Then Mealina was clutching Sae around the neck and shaking her head.

"Oh Sae, you're home! You're home! I've missed you so!"

"Mealina you're squeezing a little too tightly," Sae choked. When Mealina loosened her grip by a millimetre, Sae continued. "Why don't you sit beside me? I was about to tell mother and father about my time at the palace."

"Oooh, I want to hear all about it!" Mealina was thus appeased and plopped herself down.

"Well," She began slowly, "you will probably not be very proud of me father, especially after the pains you took to give me such a great opportunity, but I am not betrothed to the crown prince."

King Arland patted her clasped hands and said, "Do not be concerned over my feelings daughter, I will always be proud of you no matter what. No young lady has been able to impress the Queen and win her favour as yet. I was asking a lot of you to go there and do what no other could. I am sure you did your best, and because of your hurried departure home I already came to the conclusion that things did not end in your favour. Tell us everything; we will not be upset."

Lady Kiva nodded and Mealina looked wide-eyed, waiting for her sister to begin.

"My leaving the palace was not because the Queen bid me so, but because I demanded passage home. They played a great farce on me there, and I feel very ill used."

These words surprised her relations, and she went on to explain the decoy princes and queen, how she had defeated task after task, how the king had warned her, how she and the fake prince had become fast friends, and how after her final task the trickery was revealed.

"Of course, I did not figure it out until the real prince gave up his guise to me. I was so upset that I did not want to be around them for any longer, and I dreamed only of home."

Her family was rightly horrified and upset on her behalf. To be treated in such a fashion! They hugged her and assured her that she had done the right thing.

"If it were not treachery to openly accuse her majesty of wrongful doing in court, I would demand an apology before all the courtiers." Count Arland seethed. "To treat a daughter of the noble house of Eldree in such a fashion, I can hardly stand to think of it!"

"We will have to content ourselves with the knowledge that Sae is unharmed dearest, and that she got the better of them by pulling herself out of there." Kiva surmised. "I cannot wholly condemn a mother who is looking out for her son's well being, though to treat our Sae like this is certainly condemnable."

"Do not hold ill will with them Sae, and I will promise to do the same. Though we must never trust them so explicitly again." Her father advised.

Lady Kiva did ponder aloud after some time about Roderick's behaviour. "I wonder why the real prince revealed his identity. It certainly did not coincide with his mother's wishes. He must have wanted you to win, to forfeit the truth like this. Why Sae, he must be in love with you to do such a thing!"

Mealina suddenly squealed but Sae frowned. She had left out everything concerning her relationship and feelings for the fake Royal Advisor, but her stepmother had still come to the conclusion that he loved her without her even mentioning it.

"Truly, it makes no difference to me. They all lied and gave me such false hopes, only to conjure a seventh task that I lacked the insight to succeed in. Her majesty requires my respect as my ruler, but if she wasn't the Queen, I'd have a mighty few words to give her."

"It is not loyal of us to say so," Count Arland interjected. "Regardless of how much her Majesty may deserve it, we must cease here with our spite. The treatment you received was abominable, however, let us instead focus on the happy occurrence of your being home again."

"You said you were not disappointed father, but I cannot help but feel I have wasted the chance you acquired for me. I've only ever wanted to please you and I know you had my best interests at heart."

"Say nothing more of it, dear Sae. The most important thing is that you are happy, and I promise you this; I will fulfill my duty as your father by making sure you have a happy future, whether it is as some nobleman's wife, or a jolly old maid looking after your parents."

His daughter's heartfelt smile meant more to Count Arland than any royal suitor. He gave her a one-armed embrace and told her not to fret.

It was clear to Sae that while her father was satisfied with her decision, Lady Kiva and Mealina were still curious and they would be asking her for more details after the Count retired to his study.

Sae could already see the wild possibilities forming in Mealina's mind. She resolved then to tell them the truth. She sincerely wanted to confide in Lady Kiva, whom she trusted to be unbiased, and she couldn't disappoint Mealina out of a tragic love story, after all.


	17. Part Three: 4

**Part Three**

* * *

Lady Kiva was perched halfway up on a wooden ladder, gathering apples into a woven basket. Mealina was twirling around in the garden, her golden locks shining in the autumn sun, and she began saying her goodbyes to the aging flowers, as they faded away with the summer. Sae sat in her spot, the old stone bench with chipped cherub faces, under an oak tree. The three ladies had spent much of the past week in the garden, for it was their favourite place to talk, and as the season was changing, they wished to enjoy as much of the last warm days as they possibly could.

"Sometimes I feel as though I should have been born a milk maid and not a woman of the gentry." Lady Kiva confessed. "Picking apples is one of my favourite pastimes, though I hardly know what to do with them afterwards. If I but knew how to cook, I think I should make pies and tarts and everything apples can be made into, but alas, I shall give these to Iona so she can make use of them."

"That would be a romantic thing, to be a maiden who delivers the milk each morning from the farm." Mealina sighed, closing her eyes and clasping her hands together. "A milk maiden with creamy white skin and rosy cheeks, who comes under the eyes of a dashing duke, and he falls in love with her beauty and takes her away from her inferior life. Oh, how romantic!"

"I doubt you'll find any milk maidens in our region who are waiting for their dashing duke," Sae smiled slightly, "but it is a sweet dream still."

Mealina opened her eyes and gazed at her sister. "I don't suppose you would consider yourself a maiden waiting for her dashing duke—or prince, either, would you Sae?"

Sae blushed and looked down at her hands. "I've already told you, I don't expect the Prince to come here and claim me. I left him and his world behind, didn't I? I made it clear I wanted nothing more to do with any of them. Why should he come after me now?"

"Because he loves you," Lady Kiva answered, plucking another apple. "What reason or force is stronger than love?"

Sae shook her head. "How come every conversation we have always leads to this? I've been home for over a week now, and it feels as though every time we come out here to enjoy the day, we always arrive back at the Prince. Mother, Mealina, I love you two dearly, but you are not making me happy, speaking of him."

"That is because you love him too, dearest." Lady Kiva tutted. "I warned you months ago, in this very garden, not to swear your heart against true love, and look what has happened. This is not something you can just toss aside and forget Sae, you will need to find a resolution one way or another. However, if it truly upsets you to talk of it, then Mealina and I will say nothing more on the matter."

Lady Kiva gave Mealina a pointed look and the girl nodded fervently, adding, "I always hoped you would find love sister, but if you do not wish to speak of it, the last thing I will do is hurt you by saying anything. I too promise not to speak of it again until you bring it up yourself."

"Thank you both. I do appreciate your patience with me. I can only imagine how I look from the perspective of another, but being the direct person mixed up in this, I feel justified in my feelings."

"Of course my dearest, never doubt your heart on any matter." Lady Kiva assured, coming down from her ladder and handing Sae an apple.

"Mmmm, I love crisp autumn apples." Sae sighed, biting into the green and white flesh.

o-o-o

Sae had been home two weeks when she began to fret. When she had told Lady Kiva and Mealina that she didn't expect Prince Roderick to come after her, she had of course been lying to save face. She couldn't understand why he hadn't come, hadn't he claimed to love her? Now that she had been there a fortnight, she began to see just how boring home was compared to life at the palace. Eldree Manor, as dear as it was to her, paled in comparison to the living she had experienced over the past two months. At the manor she was in a cocoon, resting peacefully; a state of immobility. The palace had hatched her. She had taken flight as a butterfly, discovering the world. She no longer fit into the space of her home, like a swelled puzzle piece, her life was too thrilling now.

Sae had scrupulously reflected over Roderick's part in the illusion and even the Queen's reasoning behind it, and she had found peace with them, attempting to see things through their eyes. To them, she was just like all the other ladies, at least in the beginning, seeking to be Queen and nothing more. Why shouldn't they be careful and resort to tricks in assessing if she was the one? Wasn't she tricking them in return, just as all other ladies did, resorting to beautiful gowns and hair styles to capture noblemen's attentions, and fake modesty and sweetness to please the parents or elders of such noblemen? Really, the whole courtship process was a farce of its own, why shouldn't the Queen be allowed to counter it with her own games! It wasn't _quite_ right, not by far, but in a different light one could almost see it as…justified.

Such musings swirled around her head one early afternoon as she practiced on her harp in the music room. While the palace's harp had been a grand and truly beautiful instrument, Sae felt much more at home with her more humble, delicate harp, which her father had bought for her at the age of seven. Mealina, the true musician of the family, soon joined her, singing and playing the pianoforte better than any nine-year-old noble in the country. The sisters were thus employed when the door to the music room was flung open and in dashed Josef and Evart, looking excitedly at them saying, "Look to the window! There is a strange man dressed like royalty outside speaking with father."

Sae's heart clenched as if a hand had firmly clasped over it and she could scarcely breathe. She and her siblings all ran to the window facing the front of the manor. Indeed a tall man dressed regally was dismounting his horse, and Count Arland had uncharacteristically gone out to meet the stranger himself. Such address was usually done by a servant, but judging by the man's attire, the Count must have assumed this was no ordinary visitor. The gate where the stranger had dismounted his house was too far from the window for a clear picture, though Sae knew that moment it had to be him. Who else could it be, she thought desperately. From their distance they could still see that the man had fine clothes on, though they could not make out any of the details of his attire, nor his features. He appeared to be the same height as the Prince, and he seemed to have the same board shoulders, Sae deduced. Count Arland called for a servant to bring the horse to the stables, and he walked with the man towards the front doors.

"Let us go down and meet him!" Mealina said, and she and the boys ran out of the room and towards the grand stairway.

Sae reluctantly followed, wondering which would be worse; for him to be Roderick so she could embarrass herself, or for him not to be Roderick so she could feel despair.

Lady Kiva was standing in the foyer when her children joined her. She turned to Sae first and said, "Your father was looking out his study window and he saw a man coming down the lane. He immediately went out to meet the man, I'm not sure why. Your father seemed to think he was someone of great importance."

"But he must be mama! He is dressed so regally." Mealina assured.

"Is he now?" Lady Kiva's surprise was evident. "Then are we to assume he is from Fu Naru Palace?"

Both Mealina and Lady Kiva stared at Sae. She shrugged back at them. "I cannot tell you for sure until I see h—"

Just then, the doors opened and Count Arland walked into the hall with—

"It is him! It's Rod—the Prince." Sae whispered in a sudden panic.

What an odd way to come to her house, she thought, without carriages and glory. He came on his horse for such a long, tiring journey. Then she registered that considering everyone thought him dressed so grandly, compared to the extravagant outfits the fake Prince Sevastian had worn, she rather thought the real Prince had a toned down, humbler manner of dress.

Mealina seemed to swoon at her sisters words. Why, this was the most romantic thing she had ever seen! The Crown Prince had come after her sister, and he was a dashing young man, though he looked a little more sombre than was really necessary.

"Kiva my love, children, this is Prince Sevastian, the Crown Prince of Fu Naru. He is a personal friend of Sae's he has informed me." At the mention of his title, Kiva and the children automatically bowed, though Sae, after having grown accustomed to bowing for the fake Prince and not for the fake royal advisor, did not.

"Please, the nobility may know me as Prince Sevastian, but it is a second name. My first is Roderick." He offered.

"I welcome you with open arms into my humble home, Prince Roderick." Lady Kiva said jovially. "Please let me introduce you to my remaining children, as you are already well acquainted with my eldest daughter."

Before she could go on, Prince Roderick turned his gaze away from Sae, who was averting her gaze from his, and looked confusedly to Lady Kiva for the first time. "Oh, forgive me madam, I thought Sae's mother had passed on. Forgive my confusion, and please introduce me to your other lovely children."

"You were not mistaken, your highness. Sae's mother did pass on many years ago. You must forgive me, but I always refer to Sae as my daughter, though she is not through blood. In every other respect however, she _is_. And so, since you know my first daughter, let me introduce my other children. These are my twin sons, Josef and Evart," here they bowed again, "and this is my youngest, Mealina." The girl gave her best smile and curtseyed.

"A beautiful family you have madam." Roderick offered a slight smile, his eyes returning to Sae. "I must admit, my business here is not even clear to myself at present, though I felt the need to…I felt as though I should come and see Sae…that is, to make sure she was nicely settled back at home. I hope I haven't intruded on your private family time this afternoon."

"Nonsense." Count Arland's smile did not quite reach his eyes as he gestured with his arms. "Our home is always open to the royal family of course. Now, you must have started your journey quite early to get here so shortly after midday."

"I admit I began my journey in the middle of the night, or in the early hours of the morning; however you choose to look at it." The Prince admitted sheepishly.

"You must be tired then. May I offer you one of our rooms to have a rest, and when you wake we shall have a meal prepared for you?" Lady Kiva offered.

"I would not wish to impose upon such gracious hosts," He replied gallantly, "but you make such a pleasing offer and I am…tired. When I set off I hardly knew what I was doing, I just knew I had to…well, it does not matter much what I was thinking. I hope you will not hold my want of mind at present against me. My best excuse is my fatigue."

"Of course, your highness, think nothing more of it," Arland said, moving towards the grand stairway. "Let me show you a room where you can rest, and we shall talk later."

As the Prince followed his host a little sluggishly, Lady Kiva and Mealina grabbed Sae by the arms and dragged her away to the gardens.

"He has come for you!" Mealina squeaked happily the moment they entered the familiar greenery.

"I have no idea what to think! I cannot even look at him!" Sae admitted, clearly terrified.

"My dear, he was staring at you the whole time. Mealina is right, he has come for you. To think he left in the middle of the night just to get here, he must have been desperate to see you. So desperate that he has lost sleep. He seemed almost ready to pass out as Arland led him up the stairs."

"I do not understand. If he was in such a rush last night to get to me, why did he wait a fortnight first?"

"These are things only he can answer, and which you must ask him…if you will speak to him. You will, won't you dearest?"

"Of course I will mother. I could hardly stop myself, though I tremble now at the thought. What can I possibly say to him after everything?"

"Tell him you love him, and that you will go with him wherever he goes!" Mealina gasped.

"I was contemplating a more serious conversation than that, Mealina."

"How is that not serious?" The girl protested. "Do you not love him? Will you not follow him?"

"I only meant that, before I can talk of love, I must resolve other things with him. This whole farce still stands between us."

"You must resolve it all, Sae." Lady Kiva was firm in her advice. "It is clear that you have run away from love, but it has followed you here. Don't let it slip away now. This is all a part of the experience dearest, and what makes love so stirring. If you love him, then accept the apology he gives you and reconcile. If you cannot find it in your heart to forgive him, however, then you must let him know, and find peace with a farewell. You have to know your heart, if you are to get what you truly want."

"What I truly want." She repeated to herself. "Yes, I have to think about that."

"In the meantime, your Prince has journeyed some space and time to get to you. He will be staying with us for the evening, but he seems to have come with no plans. He may look upon you to give him encouragement to stay or not."

"In that case, I should go and tell father that he may invite the Prince to stay. I would hate for father to be torn between doing his duty as a Count and wanting to protect me. Besides, it will be good to have a few days. I do not think I have such courage to speak openly with his highness tonight. It's too soon…oh! What am I going to do!"

Here she flung herself at Lady Kiva and began to cry. Her mother and sister were a little startled to see Sae act this way; her detached and indifferent nature had been so altered since her stay at the palace. Mealina hugged Sae from behind while Kiva stroked her hair.

"Be at peace dear child. All will be well, you will see."

o-o-o

Prince Roderick had not been himself that afternoon when he arrived at Eldree Manor; he was clearly distracted, at a loss for his usual eloquence, and he stared intensely at Sae as if no one else had been in his thoughts for a long time. Sae was convinced this was due to his overnight ride, and that the moment he got his rest, he would return to his quiet, thoughtful, and overall stoic self. This had been her initial judgment on his character. By aiding her through the various tests, he had then proven himself to be intelligent, and by nature sombre instead of cold, which she had originally deduced.

When the Prince arose from his two hour rest to join the family for their evening meal, Sae was marvelled to find that Roderick made efforts to amiably converse with her parents, and jauntily jest with her siblings. Yet he seemed almost shy in addressing her. Though he looked to her a great deal, most of his conversation was directed at her parents, and more than once he seemed on the verge of saying something directly to her, then he paused, bit his lip, and turned his gaze away. Sae knew not what to make of his behaviour, other than he must be feeling as unsure about proceeding as she was.

"He looks at you still a great deal, Sae." Her stepmother whispered to her, as the Prince divulged some future plans for the country with her father at the other end of the table.

"It's unnerving." She admitted. "He hardly ever looked at me in the palace. I know he was pretending to be the Royal Advisor then, but still."

"And do you dislike this? I know it was the Royal Advisor you fell in love with."

"It's strange, really. He is not as jovial as his cousin, the fake Prince Sevastian, or their other cousin Sir Lisario, but there was something about him that attracted me regardless. Now, seeing him strive to be friendlier with you and father, and seeing him smile charmingly at Mealina and humour the boys, I feel like I am seeing a new, possibly better side to him. It's strange because when the fake prince was so cordial I only had platonic feelings for him, but seeing Rod—I mean Prince Roderick like this, I cannot help it, my heart just aches. In a good way, I think."

Lady Kiva's eyes sparkled. "Of course it is in a good way. Sae darling, he is opening up and you are learning more of his character, his softer, more sociable side. That is all we can hope for; he is a good man."

"It is just so strange to see his transformation."

"Well, perhaps he was always this way. When someone must be in disguise for months as someone else, they change their natural character in the act. If he had to pretend to be an advisor, are you at all surprised if he was less talkative, more aloof?"

Sae began to understand things better. "The depth of your understanding astounds me, mother. I suppose pretending to not be yourself would change someone's ordinary habits and temperament. Still, I can see even as he talks to father, he is a naturally calm and sensible man, just as he was when he was the Royal Advisor."

"And these are not bad traits in the least, darling."

After dinner, Sae thus resolved to get to know the real Prince, so she could decide once and for all if he was what her heart sought.

As Sae got ready for bed that evening, Mealina slipped into her room to swoon over their guest.

"Oh Sae, he is more princely then any prince I have ever imagined in any fairytale."

"That is probably because he is a genuine prince, and you have never met one before." Sae answered dryly, sitting by her vanity mirror and combing out her long raven hair.

"It's not that though," Mealina insisted, falling back onto Sae's bed in a fantasy stupor. "He's a living breathing _man_! A man who loves you dearly sister, or he would not have come all the way here I am sure. A real man, and a prince too, who ardently wishes for your hand. It is so romantic I think I shall burst!"

"If you do burst, take pity on my covers and promptly leave to do your bursting in your own room."

"How can you speak so sardonically, sister, when you know he is only sleeping three doors down? Why, if it were I, I should steal away to his side at night and profess my undying feelings for him!"

"And that would be mighty improper of you, not to mention scandalous. Can you imagine what mother and father would do if they heard you say such a thing Mealina? Young, unmarried noblewomen do not go sneaking off into other people's rooms in the middle of the night, especially not a young man's room."

Sae was aware of the irony of her words, but she kept the twitching smile off her lips as Mealina pouted. "You really have no use for romance, do you Sae? How unfitting that all this should be happening to you now, and you do not appreciate any of it. Well, I shan't let you spoil my mood, I'm off to bed."

Mealina's sweet thoughts of love did not escape Sae so easily. As she lay in her bed, her candle long blown out, she was painfully aware of two things. First, the memory of the night she snuck to Prince Sevastian rooms, only to have the real prince accost her. Secondly, she thought of his current sleeping proximity.

It would be ridiculous to go and check on him, especially because of what had happened the last time, and especially after she had scolded Mealina for suggesting it. She turned on her side, her back facing her door, and willed herself to go to sleep.

Sae doubted he would appreciate a night caller anyway. The Prince was looking for a respectable lady for his wife, not some indecent girl who snuck into gentlemen's rooms. It would be funny though, to see the shocked look on his face at her performing déjà vu on him.

Another half hour passed before Sae resolved to at least go to his door and check for his steady breathing. If he was sleeping then she'd be appeased that these silly notions were solely running through her head alone.

She was thankful that her door did not creak, as she quietly padded from her room to the one he had been given. Sae pressed her cheek to the door and strained her ears to catch any sound. All was silent in the room however. Perhaps he breathed very quietly as he slept, unlike her father. This would not do however, for she had no way of knowing if he was sleeping or not. She bent down towards the keyhole and squinted. There sat a shadowy figure on the bed. She could barely trace the fuzzy edges of his arms, and his hand as it supported the side of his face. He was deep in thought.

Her heart began to pound so loudly she feared it would betray her, and turning from the door, she resolved to get away before she did something stupid. She need not fear the sound of her heart however, for it was the sudden creak in the floor outside his room that gave her away. She froze on the spot, hoping madly he had not heard it, but fearing to move should she make another sound.

It mattered not for in the next moment his door flew open and a bemused expression played about Roderick's face.

"What…why are you standing outside of this room?"

"I'm not—I don't…I have no idea, truly." Sae whispered, her face glowing with heat.

"Perhaps you couldn't sleep, like me?" He offered, rubbing the back of his head in a state of loss himself. "Or perhaps you wanted to speak with me?"

This unguarded boyish behaviour made her heart beat even more loudly, and her face grew hotter still. "I—I only wondered if you were awake, like me."

He laughed softly, and nodded. "As you see, I am. Now, what else can I do for you?"

"I—nothing. I'm sorry I disturbed you. I did not mean for you to know…I was only checking…I really should go back to my room now."

He laughed again, reaching out to catch her arm before she took off. "Humour me a minute more and stay. We have not had a chance to speak frankly with each other yet. I was earnest when I told your father that my reasons for coming were unclear. I just wanted to see you…I hope that does not bother you."

"No, it does not." She breathed.

"I do not know how long I shall stay. Your father invited me for the month, but I told him I doubted I would be able to stay but a few days. I had meant to come sooner but…well, I had been advised otherwise at first."

"Oh." Sae rubbed her arm distractedly. This had not been the reason she wanted to hear, but she felt too self-conscious to ask for a better one.

"I know it is not proper for you to enter my chamber, though we both can recall a time when you did not long ago," he added with a dry look. "If you would excuse formality for a moment, I should like you to come and sit with me. We can speak for a bit, so that when I see you tomorrow I will not feel so awkward in approaching you. During the night without your family watching, I find this much easier to do."

"Yes, I know the feeling." Sae agreed, thinking of Lady Kiva and Mealina's hawk eyes.

She followed him into his room and took a seat by the wall. After closing his door almost all the way, he sat down in the chair next to hers. "I don't know where to begin. We hardly talked so candidly back at the Palace, because I was not permitted to speak much there. Don't misunderstand me, Sae. I will never be as cheerful as my cousin Sevastian, or as charismatic as Lisario, but I am not an automaton either; I can talk of many things and be agreeable…that is, when I am allowed to be." He smiled wryly, triggering Sae's laugh.

"Yes…I had seen this tonight at supper and it surprised me greatly. I am glad however, because I find I like you all the more for it." She admitted freely, then thought her words over and blushed. "What I mean is, I find friends are more welcome when they are sociable, though I myself am not so outgoing either."

_Friends, she says_, Roderick thought with a twinge of trepidation, but pressed on as if her words did not rebuff him. "Well, I did exaggerate my coolness as the Royal Advisor, and you have just cause to be disgruntled, but I will not ask you to forgive me yet. I wish for you to know the real me, and when you do, then I will ask for your forgiveness." _And maybe your hand._

"And you think I shall know the real you in just a few days, do you, your highness?"

"In many ways you do know me. I was not completely acting out of character." He paused. "I am afraid I am not as interesting or exciting as other noblemen you've encountered, and I do get lost in thought more than I ought to. I know I gave the impression that I was relentlessly judging you, and I did that on purpose. However, I've never had a cold thought towards you, and I am a kinder man than I've let on."

"As the night presses on, I am more and more assured of that." She assented, looking down at her hands. Roderick's frankness was quite a change from the aloof Royal Advisor she had come to know, and it was taking her time to adjust. Still she could sense he was essentially the same man at his core. "I am by custom a recluse, much like you are. It may take some time for both of us to read the other."

He reached for her chin and turned her face so they could lock eyes. "Yes, that may be true, but in some small ways I feel as though I know you wholly."

She felt her cheeks glowing again, and to escape further blushing, she got up from her seat and announced it was time to go back to her room. Roderick stood also, and walked over to the door to hold it open for her. As he wished her goodnight she paused and looked him in the eye once again.

"Roderick" She sighed.

That did it. Next thing she knew, he had her pressed against the door, and his lips began to softly seek approval from hers. Unlike their fiery first kiss, this one was much more gentle and imploring, and she felt herself melting against the door at his touch. He pulled away before long, and before his hands got too excited, and brushed her forehead with his lips, bidding her goodnight.

As Sae stumbled back into her bed, she thought of his words; _I am afraid I am not as interesting or exciting as other noblemen you've_ _encountered. _She closed her eyes, shaking her head. How could he think such a thing and then proceed to kiss her like _that_! The man clearly wasn't aware of what a dream he was, not to mention a dream kisser! Sae drifted to sleep with provoking thoughts.


	18. Part Three: 5

**Part Three**

* * *

Breakfast that morning was a timid affair, at least on Sae's part. She had fretted away for many days at home wondering when he would come, and now that he had, she hardly knew how to act. With renewed resolve, perhaps due to the night before, the Prince made efforts to speak to her all throughout the morning meal, bestowing more attention on her than any one else present, even her father, the host. This may have gone against decorum, but Count Arland was ready to forgive the young man; his wife had filled him on where things stood between the Prince and his eldest daughter.

Prince Roderick was surprised to find that he rather liked the quiet, relaxed nature of the manor, compared to the bustle of the palace. Though he wondered what his patrons did with so much free time and in such a secluded property, quite far from a village market or square. After breakfast was over, he was curious about everyone's plans for the day. Count Arland was to journey to a neighbouring farmland under his protection, where there was an imperative matter a farmer needed counsel on. Lady Kiva was to pay a call on a sickly widow who lived on the edge of the western region, and valued Lady Kiva's friendship and company. The children were then left to their own amusements, though the tutor for the twins and Mealina would be coming later for their weekly lessons. Roderick was fascinated that though autumn had set upon the kingdom, the family still spent a considerable bulk of their time outdoors. Evart and Josef were as wild as the ferns that grew on their land, and Mealina seemed to carry a permanent sun-kissed glow in her skin. Even Sae appeared to belong to her favourite garden. She was more natural there than he had seen her anywhere else. He liked the soft expression that misted her eyes when she stepped into her oasis and breathed in the fresh scents surrounding them.

"And this is you're preferred place to be?" He enquired.

"Oh yes. There is something so timeless, so peaceful about this garden that I cannot put into words, but it has magic in it that draws us all. My stepmother claims it must be enchanted; she is often in here, as well as my sister."

Moments later Mealina appeared out of thin air, twirling into the garden. Spying the Prince and Sae, she stopped mid-twirl, her hands flying to her face, her eyes suddenly gleaming. Though the girl had sense enough not to say a word, her older sister could immediately read her mind. The young couple were alone together in the special garden. It was something out of a fairytale. Sae fought the urge to roll her eyes. Leave it to Mealina's presence and her fable fantasies to ruin any tender mood Sae may have felt just a moment earlier.

"I didn't know anyone was in here," Mealina said quietly after a long pause.

"I was just showing Prince Roderick where I like to spend my leisure, when the weather allows for it."

"And it is a beautiful place. Your sister tells me that you spend some time here too yourself." Roderick said sociably.

Just as she had at dinner the previous night, Mealina blushed when the Prince directly addressed her.

"Yes, I do like it here very much," She admitted in a shy voice.

"It almost feels magical, this garden." He offered.

"Oh yes, it does!" Mealina gasped, startled that the Prince could detect it so soon.

"I could see myself sitting here often, day-dreaming the summer away."

"That's exactly what she does," Sae offered wryly. "Mealina loves to spend hours here conjuring up images of princesses and knights and true love."

"Well, there's nothing wrong with that," Roderick said, and Mealina blushed further. "I myself am a fool for a good fable."

"Really?" Mealina asked, scarcely holding back her enthusiasm. "What would you say is your favourite fable…just out of curiosity."

"Hmmm, I don't know if I can name one in particular, though I generally like the ones where dragons are involved." Here Roderick paused, and a slow smile crept upon his face. "However, if you ask me again in a year, Mealina, there may be a new fairytale I can tell you. _And_, if there's a happy ending, then it will be my favourite."

Though he wasn't looking at her, Sae felt the heat of his attention, and her cheeks rosied. Mealina was content with the promise of a new fairytale, especially as it was from the Prince himself. Perhaps he was friends with a storyteller who was working on something grand, she presumed.

His interactions with Mealina stunned Sae at first. She was accustomed to the distant Royal Advisor, who never seemed to give much thought to his supposed siblings, Cornelia and Whitmark. To see him now, so attentive, making an effort to speak with Mealina, she was truly touched. Whether he was doing it for her sake or not, and the act back at the palace was just that, an act. She appreciated this new side to him very much.

Later that day he even disappeared for an hour with her teenage brothers. They showed him all their secret hideouts and treasure troves around the vast land, something they had refused in the past to show anyone. Sae supposed that the boys were taking advantage of having an older male around who was much younger than their father and closer to their own age. She felt a twinge of envy that her brothers had never felt she was adequate to confide in, but then sometimes these were just the natural ways of the world. If Evart and Josef could relate to an older brother more than an older sister, could she really hold it against them?

o-o-o

As the days changed Sae felt her heart in fuller bloom than Lady Kiva's prised marigolds. Seeing him everyday so calm and collected with her family, tossing her secret smiles and brushing his hand against hers when no one was looking, was the sweet cream to the nights. She would come to stand by his door, he would open it to find her there without fail, and they would converse in secret, talking of nothing special and everything wonderful. She learned of his favourite childhood horse which had died and taught him the meaning of loss, of the places he liked to be most in the kingdom, of the games he used to play with his cousins Lisario and Sevastian when they were young, and how poor Condor would always chase after then and try to keep up. He shared his concern about his dying father, of his uncertainty of ruling the kingdom after his mother, and how he had never shared such things with anyone before because they all thought him to be a rock, and he began to wonder if he was without strong feelings until he had met her.

Sae would tell him of her early memories of her father, his sadness which she couldn't understand and she had thought was normal, until he met his second wife. Her own sadness when she realized she had been the cause of her mother's death, and her early teenage years when she had despised herself for it. She shared her childhood fondness for the harp, and her dream of touring the kingdom to perform for all the nobles, and how she thought she could be the first woman to become renowned throughout the kingdom for her talents. Her jealously of Josef, Evart and Mileana when they were born and her father loved others, and the babies' mother had survived, unlike her mother. Her resolve before coming to Fu Naru never to love for she hadn't believed herself capable of the feeling.

They found themselves opening up during the nights, when they felt shy to speak of during the day. The children were always around, or Lady Kiva would be, and even occasionally Sae's father. Here they felt truly alone.

When they exhausted their speech they would reach out to touch hands, then arms, shoulders, and face. Roderick would start, by taking her hand while she talked. Sae would mention something very personal or emotional about her past or current life, and grab onto his forearm for support. Then he would rub her arm and shoulder, and eventually his hands would cup her face. Sometimes she was the one who got to his face first. Then speaking would no longer be needed, and they would communicate with their eyes. Then their lips would touch, gently, tenderly, then with pressure.

At first it was chaste, but by the fourth night Sae found herself being guided to lay back on his mattress; he would press into her, not thinking. She was startled and pulled her lips away, resting her hands on his arms and trying to sit up. He apologized for his indiscretion and promised her he would keep himself in check. Neither quite knew how it had happened but both of them parted wanting more.

The next night she had returned again for their nightly discussions and again they somehow ended up laying on his bed, kissing ardently, and this time his hands left her face and began to stroke her soft curves. She had never been touched by a man except when dancing, or being handed into a carriage, so the feel of his hands, one stroking her waist and hips, the other gliding down the curve of her back, set her alarm bells off again. This time she waited a moment, letting the unfamiliar feeling sink in, and she began to feel it was more pleasurable and less alarming. They lay in such an embrace for a quarter of an hour and then she felt for priority's sake she should stop him. He seemed lost in his own blissful world, so it would be up to her. Again he apologized profusely and promised to be more careful.

On the sixth night of his stay she stayed in her room. A lady had to show some reluctance after all, otherwise what would the gentleman think! The time for games was over, but still, she couldn't go to his room knowing what would inevitably happen; then he'd think she wanted it just as much as he did, a truth she wasn't ready to own yet.

When she heard the light knock on her door she tried to bite down a smile as she went to greet her caller.

"Oh, Prince. Did you need something?" She asked, leaning against the door frame.

He rolled his eyes and she opened the door to let him in.

"I was surprised not to have a visitor tonight, as I have had the past five." He began, taking seat on the edge of her bed.

She plopped herself down next to him, not too close, but within arms reach. "I thought after your excessively improper behaviour the past two nights, I should stay away to keep my virtue intact."

"Virtuous ladies do not make nightly calls on gentlemen, my lady."

Sae turned red and felt humiliated at the rebuke. "I am not in such a habit! Do not for one moment think it is my usual behaviour Roderick—"

"I know Sae, I was only teasing."

She sighed. "You tease with such a serious tone and face that it can hardly be considered that!"

"I did not mean to insinuate that you were not virtuous. I know you are, just as I know I am the only man you have ever kissed."

She did not deny it, but blushed more deeply and continued. "So, why do you visit me now? We have talked a great deal these past nights but I do not think that is your main reason in coming here."

Now he had the grace to look embarrassed. "Perhaps it is not the only reason…but I do wish to continue to talk to you. Forever, if I could."

Sae sucked in her breath and looked away. She did not know how to answer him.

He pressed on. "I am not comfortable around people in general. There are few people who make me feel at ease, and you are one of them."

"That is something I've always felt myself." She breathed.

He reached out and took hold of her hands. "It's been an interesting past couple of days here. But there is something I have to say to you now."

She kept still and waited for him to continue.

"Sae, beautiful Sae, I am not a man of fine words like my cousins are, but what I am is earnest." He leaned toward her so that they were only a few inches apart, and though the room was dark she saw a light in his eyes. "I feel as though I should give you some grand speech. Sae, how can I….how can I apologize sincerely enough, for what has happened? I am sorry. You deserve my agony and suffering as payment for what we have caused you."

He raised her hands to his lips. She sighed. "I had time to find peace with it before you came to my family's manor. I have long forgiven you. My willingness to share my memories and embraces with you these past nights will signify this."

"You are an angel."

"That is not so." She blushed.

He went on. "I was not looking for love in my mother's plans. I was only looking for an educated girl who could perform well as a future queen, and who I could get on well enough with. I did not expect this. And I almost ruined it. You deserve me to be tied up in the stocks and humiliated for my deception."

"I don't know about the stocks," she murmured. "Spending time with Evart and Joseph as you have done would do anyone in nicely I imagine."

He laughed and tightened his hold on her hands. "Sae, how can I…how can I make this up to you? I love you, and I am sorry. I regret so much of what has happened. If you accept my apology, then perhaps after I have been duly chastened you would still accept your prize for defeating my mother's tasks—"

"I did not defeat _all_ of her tasks. You did not give me the chance on the last one." Sae murmured.

"Nonsense. You as good as defeated all of her tasks, even she concedes. So, knowing this, would you consent to be my–"

"Shhhh," Sae whispered, pulling her hands free and encircling him. "For someone who denies being a great talker, you talk too much."

She titled her face upwards to capture his enthralling kisses. By now she had grown accustomed to the feeling of his lips and the heat they gave her. Sooner than expected they tumbled back onto her bed, a pool of heat and hands, stroking and exploring. He manoeuvred over her and she felt his weight press her down into the bed. He was touching her in more sensitive places than the night before and she felt her body respond in such wonderful ways. He kissed her throat and her collarbone and moved downward.

Then they were startled out of their hedonistic conduct by the sound of heavy pounding coming from below.

"What—" Sae began, but Roderick cut her off with a quick kiss, as he jumped off the bed and tried to straighten his dishevelled shirt.

"It will wake the whole household. I'm sorry, my Sae, but I must—"

"Yes, and be quick!" Sae interrupted, understanding him.

He fled her room, and not moments later she heard her father in the hall way cursing as the servants were opening the grand entrance to discover who was pounding on their door.

There were heated words between the servant and strange caller, though Sae could not distinguish the muffled sounds for actual words, and soon she could tell her father had joined to see what was going on.

Then, her sister came knocking.

"What is happening down there?" Mealina yawned, opening the door.

"I haven't the faintest idea but come in here and keep still, and maybe we can hear."

Mealina stepped inside the room, leaving the door open only by a crack for the benefit of their ears.

They could hear their father's exclamation and the sound of him retreating back to the stairwell.

Mealina had come to sit on Sae bed, and fingering the bed spread, she remarked in a low voice. "Why are your sheets so tangled at the bottom? Were you sleeping on the wrong end?"

Sae felt the heat on her cheeks and didn't look her sister in the eye when she responded with "I couldn't sleep, so I was sitting up on the edge of my bed."

Mealina frowned, looking at her sister. "And what happened to _you_?"

The elder sister raised a brow in confusion, and the younger gestured to her night gown.

Looking down, Sae was horrified. Her lace gown was half undone in the front, showing the white expanse of her breasts and poorly hiding their darker tips. Some of the skin also looked blemished from her throat and down, as though she had been scratching it. She hadn't realized how carried away the Prince had gotten.

"I had a terrible itch here, so I was just….relieving myself."

Mealina accepted this response and was about to ask another question when the sound of their father upstairs again silenced her. His footfalls passed the room and continued to the other side of the hall.

They could hear him knocking on the prince's doorway.

"My lordship, my lordship!"

"What is the cause of all this ruckus below?" Prince Roderick asked, feigning one who has just woken up.

"A Sir Lisario and his guard wait for you at our entrance, my lord. They call for your urgent presence."

Though she could hardly believe it, Sir Lisario was indeed in her home, stationed in the foyer, determined to leave at a moment's notice.

The prince and count descended again and Sae could not help but creep out of her room, Mealina following. They made it to the stairs and took a few steps down, until they were within clear ear shot of the happenings.

"It is true." Lario's voice carried up the stairwell. "You are needed back at the palace. The ambassador from Fu Tari kingdom has sprung up on us with the young Crown Prince Barth and he is demanding to speak with you. Completely out of the blue, and quite without the knowledge of his parents, he stole away to Fu Naru determined to seek you out your highness over matters he will not address to anyone else. We need you at the palace if we are to diplomatically see to it that his needs are met and then he can be returned home promptly before Fu Tari proclaims war on us for harbouring their runaway son."

"This is absolutely unheard of! Prince Barth is seeking out our Crown Prince? For what purpose? What can he mean travelling all the way here with some sort of secret. And not telling the King and Queen of his intentions to travel here!"

"Yes, it's highly peculiar Count, but it must be resolved. I regret to say this is the end of my stay here. You have been a magnificent host, a very loyal friend to the monarchy, and I have enjoyed this past week with your family. Thank you Count Arland."

"It is just all so strange you must leave in the middle of the night like a thief!"

"Again, I am sorry to have woken you but we could not delay this even by a half day." Lisario explained.

"Well, your highness is welcome back once matters are resolved. Do not forget I invited you for the month!" The Count responded jovially.

"Thank you for your invitation." He smiled at the Count, then turned his eyes to the stairwell. "I look forward to the day when I can stay with your family again. Until then."

"Goodbye." Sae murmured.


	19. Part Three: 6

**Part Three**

* * *

When Sae heard the hoofs of an approaching rider not three days later she became giddy with anticipation. But alas, it was only a messenger! His letters held no interest for Sae; they were always for her father. Not long after, Count Arland called his wife into his study, and Sae was included in the summons. The count looked uneasy, as he held a letter in his hand and considered his daughter and his wife for a moment.

"What is it, my love?" Lady Kiva asked, fiddling with her bracelet. Her husband's nervousness was contagious.

"I have received a general invitation from the palace, along with a personalized note to the Eldree family."

Sae sucked in her breath. This concerned primarily her. "An invitation for our whole family to stay at the palace?"

"No, it is an invitation to a ball. More specifically, a masquerade, in ten days time."

"What!" Kiva blenched, directing her gaze to Sae. "What could her majesty be thinking? A masquerade, after all the _masquerading_ done against poor Sae! It seems like a cruel joke."

Sae didn't know what to think. She had found peace with their conduct after almost a month's period of reflection, and had long forgiven the prince especially. Mayah had been a big let down to her. Still, she could better understand now why the Queen had done it, and she couldn't so easily forget how caring Mayah had been to her. It had felt genuine and Sae wanted to believe it was.

"There's more," Arlan sighed, holding out the note. "I did say the invitation included a personalized notice for our family. The Queen has written to me personally to inform us that our daughter left without completing the tasks, and so she must come back and finish them or forfeit."

"But that's preposterous. How can I finish the last task when I know who the prince is? The answer has been already been given."

"Here lies your answer." Her father read directly. "_The final task for Lady Sae is thus; conceal the face and don the colour of your eyes so all shall know you. Then find your prince; he shall wear his eyes as well. You will have to the end of the ball to discover him." _

Lady Kiva clapped her hands together, momentarily forgetting to be affronted. "What a lark it shall be! Sae, you will have to find him, hidden amongst the many masks, and you will have to use your memory of his height and statue. And better yet, they offer you a clue; you must find him dressed in hazel, the colour of all royal family eyes."

"Blue," Sae corrected, looking at the wall. "His eyes are a deep blue like the winter ocean. Not all the royals have hazel eyes."

Concerned by her stepdaughter's apathy, Kiva retracted. "But of course, to make you go back and complete the task is ridiculous. After humiliating you in such a fashion, it's an insult."

"That it is," The count rejoined. "How do you feel about this daughter? You and the Prince seemed to have made amends when he was here, yet her majesty is still pushing this ruse…"

"I do not believe she is trying to insult us," Sae answered after a moment, turning to her parents. "Her intentions are good. She want resolve. She wants me to succeed and put an end to this game, and the only way would be to finish, and be victorious. I think she is doing this for my benefit. It stings a little, that I should have to go back and contend, but at least now everything is out in the open, and we can find closure to this whole business."

"And the prize?" Lady Kiva probed gently. "Should you win, would you still take the Prince for a husband?"

Sae in her blunt fashion responded, "Oh, he has already asked it of me, when he was here. I must give him my answer at the ball."

Thus the troublesome letter turned into hope for her parents, and with that settled Lady Kiva went on the warpath to secure for her elder daughter and herself the best gowns and masks of the season. Her husband would do fine with evening attire purchased last year, but the Eldree ladies were going to make an entrance.

"Though the rest of us are at leisure with colour," Lady Kiva said, "you my dove, have been instructed to wear something to match your eyes. They are such a fine shade of grey, I wonder if we might get away with putting you in silver."

And so Sae donned the elegance of a silver grey gown, clustered with hundreds of little black roses embodied on the bottom. Tiny white diamonds were laid across her throat, and her raven hair was done half up, cascading down her back in soft curls. Her mother admired the maids' handiwork but decided to add a touch of magic. She pierced an ornate hair pin with a tail of sparkling sapphires through the side of Sae's twisted bun, and the jewels glistened as they twined down with her loose dark curls.

"A little blue to help him find you." Kiva winked.

Lady Kiva herself shimmered in a bronze gown. The count met them below and Mealina and the twins bid them adieu. The twins were happy to be young enough to be excluded, but Mealina was in tears.

When the carriage halted at the palace entrance, Lady Kiva pulled out three masks from a velvet box at her side. A silver one for the count, a gold one for the lady, and a pure white one for Sae. It stood out from her black hair and silver dress, the very reason Lady Kiva had chosen it for her.

All three masks had beautiful carvings on them. The count's had a curling border and sharp nose, the gold mask had a sun carved down its middle, with each ray stretching to the edges, and the white one, similar to Sae's dress, was boarded by tiny engraved roses. Placing their masks, they soon joined the masquerade.

o-o-o

Sae felt as though she were drowning in a sea of heated mystery. The grand hall was full to the brim with hardly any room to stand. Off to the side the walls were lined with people socialising and partaking of the little treats nesting on small tables scattered throughout the hall. That space was cozy compared to the enormous room given to the dancers, who filled the balk of the hall, moving together fluidly. The space was so big that Sae could not see from one end to the other.

Her parents had left her early on, with the parting words, "we'll leave you to it then" and they joined the dancers. There must have been over a hundred couples dancing. All of them where strangers to her.

She tackled the room by starting on one end near the walls and socialisers, and walked around looking for him. She encountered her friend Cataveran at one point, who she could recognize despite the mask, and was given encouragement.

"You've almost won Sae," Cataveran trilled. "You're so close!"

When Sae got to one end of the room she was surprised to see the _real_ Queen Ryona with no mask on, standing alone on a spot of raised floor, watching the dancers.

"Sae," she smiled.

"May—I mean, your-your majesty." Sae stuttered, dropping into a bow.

"Dear child, come stand with me a moment."

Sae did as she was bade.

"This has not been easy for you, and I apologize again for putting you through it, but I hope you see why I felt the need to let you finish."

"I do." Sae conceded. "I was distraught about this for a long time, but I have come to peace with it, and I confess I am thankful you have given me the opportunity to win, even now."

"You have won no matter the outcome, Sae. You have my son's heart. He was not in favour of this ball. He wanted to simply come back to you and ask for your hand, _again_, I am told. But I convinced him that you wanted to finish this. I know you can do it, though pass or fail the outcome, as I said, is the same. He will offer everything he has to you, and you must decide if you want it."

"I would think my coming here and agreeing to finish this speaks volumes of what I truly want."

"That it does." The Queen took Sae's hand and squeezed it between her own. "Well, proceed and find your prince, my dear. He is waiting for you. I dear say he is even out there looking for you, though I gave him specific instructions _not_ to seek you out."

Sae felt her heart completely forgive the Queen then, and she had her Mayah back at last. She thanked the Queen and continued her search.

Soon after a hand seized hers gently and she turned to find a smirking man in rich green beckoning her to dance.

She laughed as she recognized that smirk. "Why, if you insist, Sir Lisario."

They danced and he spun her around the room, speaking of such mundane things as the weather that only made her laugh more.

"But Sae," he interrupted his own bit of fun. "Have you spotted him yet? You cannot waste too much time with me."

"No, she can't," said another voice, and Lisario stepped back, giving a quick bow.

The new masked gentleman took hold of Sae and she smiled, recognizing his stature.

"So, am I to call you Prince Condor now?" She asked the man in gold.

"You recognize me even with this thing on," he laughed, pulling distastefully at his brown feathery mask.

"It makes you look like a bird, but that's how I've always pictured you: one with nature." And Lisario's bowing had helped.

"So, you are to call me Prince Condor then? But I have a better one. How about brother?"

"That has yet to be determined." Sae smiled. "There is something I have long wondered about you. If I may ask, what is there between you and Alesia?"

He sighed. "It is not a light matter for me to speak of, Sae. How did you know?"

"Alesia would often slip out to the fields. At first I thought she was just a lover of the outdoors, until I saw her at dusk in an intimate position with you."

Condor had the decency to blush. "We are not lovers, if that is what you think. I do love her, but…" He sighed. "The unequal class we belong to makes any honest relationship between us out of the question. And it is an honest one that I want."

"You are a true nobleman. I am just sorry life were not more fair. I suppose your mother, kind as she is, will not break with tradition."

"I'm sure she wouldn't." He replied. "Though I confess I hadn't even the courage to tell her."

"What! Oh Prince, you must! Just think…your family is not a conventional one. Your mother has gone months and months pretending to be a servant herself. She knows Alesia well, and maybe, just maybe, she will honour your feelings. It is not tradition, but no one in Fu Naru palace seems to adhere to tradition!"

He smiled down at her. "You are right of course. I shouldn't despair when I have not tried. I will work on my courage and in time ask my mother."

They continued to dance as the song changed tune. Shortly after another man, this one dressed in red, came to claim Sae from the Prince, and Condor readily handed her over.

"I never got a chance to apologize." He began in a low voice.

"I have put my mind and heart at ease over the whole ordeal, so you may now do the same." She said. "I have long forgiven you, Sevastian."

He smiled, and his golden personality shown through his black mask. "You were always my favourite contender. I told the Prince from the first task that you would be a good match for him, though he didn't seem to take me seriously at first."

"I'm flattered you felt so warmly of me from the beginning. And I hear I am to extend you congratulations."

He laughed, pulling a hand free and twirling her around with the other. "You are right, my Princess. I am going to be married soon as well, to a wonderful gentlewoman. I think you two shall become fast friends at the palace."

Sae opened her mouth, preparing to protest that she was not a princess, not yet anyhow, and she was not going to be married soon, at least nothing was confirmed, when he left go of her other hand and she found herself twirling away from him.

She stopped herself and came face to face with a man in deep blue. That he had been watching her was evident, and that he hadn't expected her to be thrown his way was just as such, even though half his face was covered. She met his eyes and though she once imagined them as cold as northern seawater, they felt warmer now. Now they glimmered a tropical deep blue, and their depths were bottomless.

"Found you!" She exclaimed, quite forgetting herself, and throwing her arms around him.

Even with her face buried in his chest she could hear the laughter around them and realized she had just done something very improper!

Sheepishly pulling away, she ducked her head lest he see her blush and dared not look around to the people watching.

He cleared his throat, and said "Sae, look at me."

Face burning, she did, and she melted into that bottomless ocean again.

He took her hands and pulled her into the ring of dancers, guiding her to their own private melody.

Not far off the Queen and Prince Condor remarked at how well the couple looked dancing together, and how relived they were to finally be done with the farce.

Roderick murmured to his dance partner. "You know Sae, you never gave me an answer when I asked you in your room that night, if you would consent to be my—"

"What's the point in asking? I've already won you, fair and square this time." She breathed.

"Yes, you did _win_ me, but that was my mother's game and this is my choice. I want to _ask_ you to marry me, to choose you, not be won."

"You had me the moment I confessed my love and told you I would forfeit this whole competition, thinking you were the Royal Advisor. Of course I'll marry you…as long as you promise me you're _really_ Prince Roderick Sevastian Montagne."

He chuckled and ducked in to kiss her when he thought no one was looking. But of course almost everyone was. And they were happy for them.

o-o-o

Sevastian, Royal Advisor to his Royal Highness, King Roderick, had arrived at the palace that morning excited to finally introduce his bride to her new home, and to the royals living there, especially the Queen. Oh, of course, the two women had already met at the wedding, but there had barely been time for an introduction and small talk, and afterwards the newlyweds had spent the fortnight at his bride's family manor. She had not the chance to see Fu Naru palace or properly break the ice with the royals. But now, finally, they had come to the palace, their new home, and Sevastian had expected to find the newly crowned King and Queen waiting to welcome them. But only the Dowager Queen, with a twinkle in her eye, her younger son, and the head servant Ghallagher had been there to greet them, along with many servants. They made apologizes for the absent monarchs.

Though a calm, pleasantly disposed man, Sevastian was a little annoyed by their behaviour. Since the good old King Basil had died a month ago, it was now their responsibility to lead the country, to set the example for the rest of the palace, and to act accordingly lest they offend.

"Newlywed's can be somewhat careless in their self-absorption." The Dowager soothed. "As I'm sure you and your bride will be. No matter, allowances must be made for those in love."

He and his bride laughed with the others, but still, after four months of marriage the monarchs could hardly still be _that _absorbed in each other!

Allowances were to be made, true, but feeling sorry for his nervous bride, the Royal Advisor went in stubborn search for them.

He wandered around the palace, keeping an eye out. Their rooms were empty—thank heavens, he didn't want to interrupt _that_—but he suspected they would still be tucked away somewhere private. Some quick thinking led him to the grand library, but there was no one there.

The only other place he could think of would be the Prince's study. But a quick look there told him it was empty too. He had spent a lot of the past months in this room, pretending to be the prince and so pretending it was his study. He had enjoyed the prince's special collection of books and his desk was bigger than the one in the Royal Advisor's study.

A nagging feeling told him that while he had enjoyed this study for the past few months, Roderick had probably gotten used to using his. But…no, they couldn't be! Surely not!

He had to be sure. In no time he crossed from the Prince's study to his. Opening the door, it looked deserted and untouched, and Sevastian let out a sigh.

He pulled his head back and made to close the room up when he heard the ruffled sound of a moan. He peaked in again and could very distinctively hear a low '_shhhhh_' coming from the windows at the far end of the room. He stepped back into his study, and looked at the long, heavy window drapery and noticed it shift slightly.

Clearing his throat, he called out in a loud voice, "Gallagher! I think it's time we aired out these curtains in my study. Would you call the maids here now to see to it?"

There was no Ghallagher out in the halls to hear him, but the moving curtains didn't know that!

As Sevastian expected, by magic King Roderick stepped out from the drapes, both his hair and clothing looking outrageously dishevelled and slightly undone. He was smiling, too satisfied with himself to be properly embarrassed.

"Oh, hullo there Sevastian." He said, clasping his hands together and looking around the room. "I'm sorry, I was just peering out your window. I, uh, became rather fond of….the view from it."

"Ah, Roderick." Sevastian said, offering a slight bow. "Yes, well, I didn't see you there, forgive me. You were behind the drapes it seems."

"I was, wasn't I?" Roderick shrugged. "Well, shall we go then? Since you have arrived I shall want to welcome your new wife."

He motioned to the door but Sevastian felt compelled to stall a moment, saying, "I was hoping Sae would join us."

"And I'm sure she will, once she knows of your arrival. She is around the palace somewhere."

"Somewhere indeed," Sevastian murmured, and allowed the King to usher him out. "But before I bring you to my wife, do me the favour and…forgive me but there is no delicate way to put this _your majesty_: please make yourself presentable!"

Roderick straightened his clothes and buttoned and laced the places that had _somehow_ gotten loose, but offered no apologizes. His spirits were just too high, and Sevastian could only hope that after four months of marriage his own face looked that foolish. After all, what man wouldn't want to look like an idiot so blissful that he didn't care what others thought? Now that was the ideal.

The King did his duty by welcoming the new inhabitant to his palace and apologizing for his morning absence. Having only met Roderick once, the young woman was quite nervous to speak with him again, but with the subtle reassuring squeeze of her new husband's hand, she began to relax and let him lead the conversation. It took another half hour before the Queen joined them. Unlike her husband, she looked completely in place and groomed, without a blush. Sevastian suspected she had changed gowns and had her maids fix her hair.

The two women had met before but this time they had more freedom to speak, and really took a shine to each other. Sae had more confidence but not nearly as much social skills, and Thea, Sevastian's bride, was full of social grace like her husband, but modest and easily impressed. Sevastian knew they would be a good match as friends and was happy to see them getting along so early on.

As the two ladies walked away from the men, King Roderick remarked. "She seems amiable enough, and I am happy Sae can have another friend in these walls. She is close with her servants but it will be nice for her to have a friend she can go out into society with. Still, maybe it is too soon for them to be together…now I fear I won't see my wife for the rest of the week!"

Sevastian laughed. "You have no right to that complaint! I am just wed a fortnight and you four months. I am in more need of my wife than you are!"

"If you feel that way, why don't you go separate them already?"

"Hah, never come between women! That's a cardinal rule all men know. Besides, a break is good for you. If you keep at it too much you're going to end up with little highnesses running around here before your honeymoon state of mind is even over."

Roderick rolled his eyes. "Yes, that's something my mother is impatient for." His smile became smug. "Not that it's a hardship. We'll see whose wife blossoms with child first though."

Sevastian raised an eyebrow. "Is that a challenge?"

"Let's call it a friendly wager."

"And the prize?"

"Don't need one. I already got her."

Sevastian laughed. "Oh heaven, you are a sap. I hope I don't get to that state."

"Don't worry, you will."

* * *

**The End  
**


	20. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

* * *

"Darling, you never did tell me why Prince Barth called you away from my home, that week you began courting me."

"It was a personal matter, man to man. Having no older brothers, and a father his senior by several years, he has always looked to me for guidance. He felt at that time it was necessary to come speak with me, and he would not even tell his advisor the reason. I gave him the counsel he needed, and we sent him back on his way before his parents could start a war for kidnapping their only child."

"And it is something you cannot share with your wife of two years?"

"It is not so special as you think, my love. It was something many young men his age face, and he needed me to help him understand."

"Well, if you are sure, I will never enquire about it again." She paused, frowning. "Is it something our son will have to face too?"

Roderick chuckled, tightening his embrace. "He is not yet one. It is a little early to be worrying about that."

"But it will concern him one day then?"

How could he be delicate about this? Turning it over in his mind, he focused on his fingers as they stroked her arm. She was resting her head on his shoulder, and their bodies were pressed together, snuggling on a chaise lounge in his private study. The low burning fire on this cold winter's night tickled his exposed skin.

"You are a wonderful mother to worry over him, but this will be something only a father can address. Leave it to me and think nothing more of it."

"As you say my lord." She consented, reaching up to affectionately stroke his face.

He placed his hand over hers, trapping her fingers to his cheek. He craved the feeling of her soft skin, and lately he had been so busy. He hardly saw her but morning and night.

"Have you heard from you brother? I haven't had a letter from him in weeks."

"I have not, though Condor warned he would rarely send word. His ship docks in ports so seldom."

She frowned, but said nothing more. Prince Condor's decision to venture out and visit the kingdoms across the sea, bearing gifts and words of alliance, would perhaps have not been so hastily undertaken if not for his falling out with Alesia.

As King, Roderick made no arguments against his brother courting the maid. Though she was not born of noble birth, and it was not custom of their time, Condor was the younger prince and not directly in line for the thrown, especially after the birth of Roderick's heir. Given silent consent, Condor and Alesia were free.

Sae knew not what had happened and could not bring herself to ask Alesia, who said nothing, nor the other maids, who asked nothing. But something had definitely happened. Both had been miserable the week before Condor's sudden departure, and Alesia had of late hinted at changing her post. Sae dreaded the idea of parting with her, but she didn't want to see her lady's maid in pain either, so she consulted her good friend, Thea, who had a younger sister to be married in the spring. The Royal Advisor's wife recommended that Alesia begin a new post as a lady's maid to her sister, and the matter had been settled. Alesia would be leaving at the month's end.

"I hope he makes it back, soon and safe." Sae answered at last.

"He'll be fine, and after seeing some of the world, more grown."

"He's already twenty," Sae laughed. "I do not think he has much growing left to do."

"Not in body, but in mind."

"I only hope he comes back healed." She sighed, playing with the folds in his shirt. "Condor never told you…?"

"You know he didn't, Sae. I've told you everything I know."

They sat in silence for a turn, listening to the low embers burn away. Sae's head sank a little from Roderick's shoulder to his chest, and she became drowsy listening to the beating of his heart.

"I noticed you writing a letter to your sister before," Roderick remarked a while after. "How is she?"

Sae smiled. "As well as any girl her age can be. She'll be turning twelve next month and she wants to visit us for her birthday. Mother and Father have already agreed to a palace visit, but I was thinking of throwing her a party."

He kissed her head and she could feel him smiling into her hair. "That would be a nice surprise. Mother would enjoy helping you organize that."

"Oh, I know, I've already consulted with her. We're going to invite all the young noble children in the kingdom to the party so Mealina can make some new friends. And of course, the palace children will be invited as well."

"Somehow I can't picture Cornelia and Mealina getting along too well."

"Oh, you'd be surprised. Mealina can make anyone like her. I just hope Thea has her child before then or we may have to contend with a party and a birthing at once."

"And I'm sure Sevastian wouldn't like that." Roderick said dryly. "He's been extremely protective of Thea since she's been with child."

Sae laughed, hugging him closer. "You were the same with me. I couldn't take two steps without you there to make sure I was alright."

"A man's got to take care of his wife, especially as he is responsible for her pregnant condition."

"Yes, and as thankful as I am for our baby, bringing him into this world was a hardship I will not be undergoing again for a while."

Roderick jerked forward. "It has almost been a year. Does the occurrence still haunt your memory?"

"The months leading up to it, the anticipation of being a mother, and to your child, I would not trade for the world. But the hours before he was born—oh! Seeing his smiling face at the end of it was my balm to the trauma. You will find I am quite resistant to you putting me in that position again, at least for another year."

A rare wicked grin donned his face, and the serious King turned his wife's face to his so she could catch his low voice. "You were not so resistant to me last night, my love. Nor many other nights since our son was born, that I can recall."

He cherished that, even after two years, he could still make her blush with the right words.

"Tis not fair when you speak to me like that."

"Like what?" He asked innocently.

"In that voice, that tone, that you never show anyone else. Like you have very lewd thoughts of me, and you would like to show me."

"Is that so wrong of a husband?"

"It is when his wife is trying not to get pregnant so soon again!"

"It took us months the first time. I do not think it is such an easy task for us. The royal physician told me all men and women are different, and for some it is easier than others."

"But it can happen if we engage in those…activities too much. We know that now, from experience."

"Sae…" He breathed, leaning in and kissing her forehead. "Sae," He repeated kissing her cheek, then her lips.

She tried to kiss him back but he had already moved down to her throat. "Sae…" he sighed.

She could hardly hold back a moan. He knew her throat was a very sensitive place. He wasn't playing fair!

"Roderick, please…" she sighed, resisting the urge to close her eyes.

"Please?" He asked, caressing her curves and placing more kisses along her collarbone.

"Please!" She cried, grabbing his arms and pushing him back into the ornate silk pillows.

He grinned, and let his queen take control.

_Fin._

* * *

**Author's note:** _Thank you for reading this!_

(And Happy Thanksgiving, if you are in Canada :D Having the holiday gave me the chance to post this!)

As promised, here is the title of the manga this story is inspired by:  
Iinazuke Ryokan (Fiancée Inn).

It was never released in English officially. Thankfully, some kind people translated it into English online, so you can read it. Just google the name.

**Side note:**  
Tihs tlae is oevr but tihs is nto the ned of my wirintg. Smoe yraes ago I wotre a srtoy nad nveer fnesihid it. Wtih smoe mntohs I paln on fxniig it up nad fnhisihng the srtoy. Wehn it's dnoe I'll sartt psitong it hree. Paesle be pteinat nad tnahk yuo! ;)

Until next time,

**Fable's Temptress**


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